Vertex Set to Acquire Alpine, Developer of Promising IgAN Treatment

Vertex Pharmaceuticals has entered into an agreement to acquire Alpine Immune Sciences, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of protein-based immunotherapies. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2024.

 Alpine’s lead product is povetacicept, a dual antagonist of BAFF (B-cell activating factor) and APRIL (a proliferation inducing ligand) that has demonstrated potential as a treatment for IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Povetacicept is based on an engineered transmembrane activator and CAML interactor domain and has shown greater binding affinity and potency than other BAFF or APRIL inhibitors. The drug was the subject of the RUBY-3 phase 1b/2a study and is expected to enter phase 3 clinical development later this year.

There are no currently approved therapies that target the underlying cause of IgAN, which is the leading cause of primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. Povetacicept is also in development for other autoimmune diseases of the kidney, including nephropathy and lupus nephritis, as well as autoimmune cytopenias.

Meanwhile, Vertex is making headway in the treatment of APOL-1 mediated kidney disease (AKMD). Its oral drug candidate inaxaplin, which received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the US Food and Drug Administration in June 2022, will advance to phase 3 of the AMPLITUDE clinical trial. The trial will assess the effects of inaxaplin 45 mg once daily versus placebo on organ function and proteinuria in adults and adolescents aged 10 to 17 years with AKMD.