Renovion Raises $8.1M to Advance Lung Inflammation, Mucus Treatment
Renovion has raised $8.1 million in a financing round, supporting further development and planned clinical testing of ARINA-1, a nebulized treatment for chronic lung diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF bronchiectasis, and for lung transplants.
“Patient and laboratory studies have shown that ARINA-1 significantly improves mucus clearance while reducing inflammation. There are limited options available and we see a great opportunity to help these patients,” Dan Copeland, CEO at Renovion, said in a press release. “This funding will be instrumental in progressing our clinical [lung disease] programs.”
ARINA-1 works to restore the lungs’ innate immune system, the first line of defense against microbes and foreign particles, to improve mucus clearance and lower inflammation. The innate immune system is activated when it comes into contact with foreign bodies.
“My lab has worked extensively with ARINA-1 to determine how the drug effects CF mucus and mucus transport. CF mucus is severely problematic, and ARINA-1 strongly augments mucus transport in CF cells that are defective for this trait,”said Steven Rowe, MD, director of the Cystic Fibrosis Research Center at the University of Alabama Birmingham.
“Importantly, CF mucus is emblematic of difficult to treat mucus in other airway diseases. As ARINA-1’s mechanism is multi-faceted, it also has the potential to help in other diseases,” he added.
ARINA-1 has been designated an orphan drug as a potential treatment of lung transplant complications and CF by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The Series A financing round was led by White Rock Capital Management.
