Aqualung Therapeutics (ALT) is developing multi-pronged strategies to address the development of severe lung inflammation which is essential to the severity and outcomes of acute critical care illnesses and chronic lung disorders such as acute lung injury, ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension. Effective FDA-approved drugs are either currently unavailable or extraordinarily modest in their ability to modify disease progression. No drug is currently available that is preventive or curative. Aqualung’s strategies, which include deployment of a human monoclonal antibody which targets a novel inflammatory mediator (nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase or NAMPT) will address the unmet need for novel, effective therapies for VILI, IPF, and pulmonary hypertension.
The Problem
Increased lung inflammation is a key contributor to increased mortality in acute and chronic lung disease. There are NO current therapies that effectively prevent or reduce lung inflammatory burden.
Our Approach
We have identified a novel candidate gene that is essential to development of lung inflammation. Aqualung Therapeutics is developing novel diagnostics, and novel therapeutic agents, including a high affinity human monoclonal antibody approach to reduce lung inflammation and the pathophysiologic consequences of unchecked inflammation.