Allakos is a clinical-stage biotechnology company discovering and developing novel antibody therapeutics that selectively target immunomodulatory receptors on the surface of immune effector cells involved in allergic, inflammatory and proliferative diseases.
When Robert Alexander and Adam Tomasi, both former Alta partners, first invested in Allakos at Alta it was a nascent startup with some interesting novel insights in immunology. Today, the company is rewriting the textbooks on how certain cells contribute to a host of important and broad allergic, inflammatory, and proliferative diseases.
The Company’s lead drug candidate is antolimab (AK002), is an investigational antibody that targets Siglec-8, an inhibitory receptor selectively found on mast cells and eosinophils. In clinical and preclinical studies, antolimab has been shown to broadly inhibit mast cells and rapidly deplete eosinophils.
Allakos’ most advanced clinical programs are in eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs), inflammatory diseases characterized by persistent gastrointestinal symptoms with elevated eosinophils and mast cells in the esophagus, stomach, duodenum and/or colon. Antolimab has demonstrated positive clinical activity in several mast cell and eosinophil driven diseases, including in a Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in patients with Eosinophilic Gastritis and/or Eosinophilic Duodenitis. Other indications where antolimab has shown clinical activity are chronic urticaria, severe allergic conjunctivitis, and indolent systemic mastocytosis. This is just the beginning.
Eosinophil and Mast Cell Driven Diseases
Although Alta’s initial investment was in 2012, in 2017 we doubled down and got more involved. After seeing the first-in-man data, which showed total depletion of eosinophils in the blood, Alta’s new fund (APNG I) was able to purchase the series A equity interest from one of the large existing investors and step in as chair of the board. Simultaneously, we were able to bring Robert and Adam back into the fold as the new leadership after they successfully ran and sold another Alta venture, ZS Pharma.
Since then, the duo has once again shown their incredible ability to build excellent teams, raise the money necessary to fund a major drug development program, focus the clinical development where the greatest need is for patients, and all with flawless execution.
Our partnership with Company continues today as we work together to treat and improve patients’ lives.