Clinical trial of company’s osteoporosis drug is currently underway in postmenopausal women at high risk of fractures.
Clinical stage biotech Angitia Biopharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biotechnology company has announced the successful closing of a $120 million Series C financing round. The capital raised will be used to advance the company’s pipeline of therapeutics targeting serious musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoporosis.
Headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, Angitia’s pipeline includes three lead candidates currently in clinical development: AGA2118 for osteoporosis, AGA2115 for osteogenesis imperfecta, and AGA111 for spinal fusion. Osteoporosis, a widespread systemic skeletal disease characterized by reduced bone mass and structural deterioration affecting more than 200 million individuals worldwide. The condition is a growing health concern among aging populations, particularly affecting women of menopausal age and older.
AGA2118 is a bispecific antibody targeting the proteins sclerostin and DKK1, which are negative regulators of WNT signaling, crucial for osteoblast function and bone metabolism. By simultaneously inhibiting these proteins, AGA2118 aims to counteract compensatory increases in either molecule, potentially leading to greater bone mineral density improvements.
Currently, AGA2118 is undergoing clinical evaluation in the ARTEMIS Phase 2 study, which focuses on long-term outcomes in postmenopausal women at high risk of fractures. Last month, Angitia announced the dosing of the first patient in ARTEMIS, which aims to include approximately 350 participants, with a primary endpoint of BMD changes at the lumbar spine after 12 months.
The latest investment round was led by Bain Capital Life Sciences, with participation from new and existing investors, including Janus Henderson, OrbiMed, 3H Health Investment, Yonghua Capital, Legend Capital and Elikon Venture. In addition to the financing announcement, Angitia also announced the appointment of Dr Norbert Riedel to its Board of Directors. The industry veteran previously held roles at Aptinyx, Naurex, Baxter International and Sanofi.
