Aiolos Bio announced today its launch as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on addressing the unmet treatment needs of patients with respiratory and inflammatory conditions. And Aiolos launched with an oversubscribed $245 million Series A investment co-led by Atlas Venture, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Forbion, and Sofinnova Investments with additional investment from RA Capital Management. The company will also advance its lead drug candidate AIO-001, into a Phase 2 clinical trial in moderate-to-severe asthma patients and is actively evaluating additional development opportunities.
AIO-001 is an anti-thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) monoclonal antibody that has the potential to be administered twice per year due to its differentiated potency and long half-life. And TSLP inhibition has a proven role in addressing symptoms of severe asthma and is currently under investigation for additional immune conditions like Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disorder (COPD) and Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria (CSU).
Aiolos Bio has acquired exclusive rights for global development and commercialization of the drug outside of greater China from Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd in August 2023. And in multiple clinical studies, AIO-001 has demonstrated encouraging safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and biological activity in healthy volunteers and asthma patients with low immunogenicity.
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Khurem Farooq is a seasoned biopharmaceutical executive with over 25 years of drug development and operational leadership experience. And Farooq has been appointed a member of the Board of Directors. Before joining Aiolos, he was Chief Executive Officer of Gyroscope Therapeutics and previously served as Senior Vice President and Head of the Immunology and Ophthalmology business unit at Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.
In connection with the company’s launch, Aiolos announced that John F. Milligan, Ph.D., has joined the Board of Directors as Chairman. And Dr. Milligan was formerly the President and Chief Executive Officer at Gilead Sciences, where, during a three-decade tenure with the company, he helped grow Gilead into a multi-billion-dollar business with global operations in over 40 countries and oversaw the successful development and commercialization of over 25 new therapies.
KEY QUOTES:
“Aiolos has a unique opportunity to positively impact patients’ asthma outcomes. I’m excited for the opportunity to lead this innovative Company and the wealth of experience our talented team brings to bear, from operating large-scale clinical trials in asthma, to overseeing more than 30 FDA approvals, to leading successful product launches in immune conditions like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and IPF. We’re fortunate to have such an esteemed group of investors supporting our mission of helping patients and their caregivers breathe easier. We look forward to leveraging their experience and resources as we pursue the next phase of development for AIO-001.”
— Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Khurem Farooq
“AIO-001 has significant potential, demonstrating both high potency and long half-life in pre-clinical studies and initial clinical trials. We believe it has the potential to help patients achieve better disease control with fewer injections, so their asthma doesn’t have to play such a central role in their lives. We are working to begin our Phase 2 trial as soon as possible.”
— Dr. Anthony (Tony) Adamis, Co-Founder and Board member
“I am excited to collaborate with a talented founding team that brings deep scientific and drug development expertise in respiratory therapies. While the field of asthma treatment has made advancements in recent years, there remains a significant unmet need in treating patients suffering from severe asthma. I look forward to an impactful partnership with Khurem and his team and supporting the advancement of Aiolos’ innovative lead therapy and the continued build-out of its operations.”
— John F. Milligan, Ph.D.
