About Us

Attenuon, LLC is a San Diego-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new generation of cancer therapeutics. Attenuon's drug candidates are designed to selectively disrupt multiple cellular processes important to tumor growth and metastasis (the spreading of tumors). Rather than indiscriminately killing both malignant and normal cells undergoing cell division, these drugs are directed at targets that are present in a broad range of tumors and the blood vessels that feed their growth. These drug candidates have the potential to be effective against many types of cancer, produce few side effects, and be suitable for long-term use. Based on pre-clinical studies, the Company believes that these drug candidates may work well in combination with existing therapies and be used in the chronic setting to prevent tumor regrowth.

Attenuon's focus is on translating academic advances in the understanding of tumor biology into less toxic drugs to control the growth and progression of cancer. The Company has built a pipeline of two clinical stage drug candidates, to which Attenuon has full commercial rights, and a pre-clinical antibody program. The Company's lead drug candidate is ATN-224, an oral small molecule currently in Phase II trials for multiple cancer indications. In two phase I clinical trials in hematologic malignancies and advanced solid tumors, disease stabilization and biological activity was observed.  Anti-angiogenic activity was suggested by decreases in endothelial progenitor cells. In a phase II trial in malignant mesothelioma, an analog of ATN-224 containing the same active moiety showed substantial disease stabilization and comparable efficacy as a single agent to a historical control of a chemotherapy combination regimen. ATN-224 disrupts signaling pathways involved in tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis including those mediated by multiple kinases as well as NF-kappaB by inhibiting the enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). This compound has both direct antitumor as well as antiangiogenic effects. ATN-224 is currently in phase II trials for multiple myeloma, melanoma, and prostate cancer, with a phase II trial in breast cancer expected to begin during the third quarter of 2007.(See www.attenuon.com/activetrials.htm for current clinical trials.)

ATN-161 is a five-amino acid peptide derived from fibronectin. Pre-clinically, ATN-161 has been demonstrated to inhibit tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis and to enhance the effectiveness of other anti-cancer drugs. In addition, ATN-161 has extended life span in numerous pre-clinical tumor models. A phase I trial of ATN-161 in patients with very advanced solids cancers who had failed conventional treatments has been completed at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA (reported in Clinical Cancer Research 12:4974-4982, 2006). A study of ATN-161 in patients with glioma is currently ongoing at the National Cancer Institute, Neuro-Oncology Branch. (See www.attenuon.com/activetrials.htm for current clinical trials.)

The Company has developed a novel antibody against a target in the urokinase plasminogen activator system. This system plays a central role in multiple pathways and processes related to tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels that feed tumors). huATN -658 was humanized by XOMA (US) LLC using their patented Human Engineering (TM) Technology and is currently in preclinical development.