Though a safety study for its second atopic dermatitis (AD) programme got underway just this past month, Triveni Bio is already planning ahead to generate proof-of-concept evidence for TRIV-573. The biotech raised $65 million in a series C on Wednesday to launch a Phase II trial of the bispecific antibody this year, while also continuing to advance its lead AD asset. The round, co-led by Ascenta Capital and Janus Henderson Investors with participation from Deep Track Capital, comes less than two years after Triveni closed a $115-million series B to make its first move into the clinic. Including its $92-million A financing in 2023, the biotech has raised more than $270 million in private funding."This financing enables us to disrupt the status quo in atopic dermatitis, addressing not just inflammation, but the underlying dysfunction of the skin barrier," said CEO Vishal Patel.Lead candidate TRIV-509 is a half-life extended mAb designed to soothe inflammation and itch symptoms by inhibiting active kallikreins 5 and 7 (KLK5/7), which are central drivers of skin barrier dysfunction according to Triveni. The asset is currently in a Phase II study for moderate-to-severe AD, with data expected by year-end. Building on TRIV-509, Triveni's next-generation bispecific inhibits KLK5/7 as well as IL-13. In May, the first healthy volunteers were dosed with TRIV-573 in a Phase I study. A Phase II trial in patients with AD is slated to start next half. The biotech also has TRIV-920, a mAb designed to inhibit both trypsin 1 and 2, in preclinical development for pancreatitis."We have built a highly differentiated pipeline that combines novel biology with established anti-inflammatory mechanisms," Patel said.
