On January 31, 2024, Utah-based Halia Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering a novel class of small molecule medications designed to combat inflammation, announced the completion of a $30 million Series C financing. The financing was led by Todd Pedersen, with continued participation from existing investors. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati represented Halia Therapeutics in the transaction.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to support the advancement of Halia's lead asset, HT-6184, a selective and orally bioavailable first-in-class inhibitor of NLRP3/NEK7 inflammasome in Phase II clinical trials. Halia Therapeutics recently initiated a Phase IIa trial in India to treat patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (LR-MDS). LR-MDS are a group of cancers in which the bone marrow produces underdeveloped cells that are abnormal in size, shape, or appearance and are therefore "dysplastic." The company also plans to evaluate HT-6184 in Phase II trials in the U.S. for the treatment of post-procedure inflammatory pain response, as well as begin a Phase I trial in Alzheimer's patients. Funding will also support IND-enabling studies for Halia's alternative programs that are developing Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) inhibitors to treat neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, in addition to building out clinical and regulatory teams further to support the global development of the company's pipeline.

The Wilson Sonsini team that advised Halia Therapeutics on the transaction includes:

Corporate
Marc Porter
Alison Johnson
Holly Hafford

Technology Transactions
Ian Edvalson
Alex DeLaney

Patents and Innovations
Matthew Bresnahan
Alicia Umpierre
Grant Margulieux
Trevor Butcher
Jamie Gleason-Bremer

For more information, please see the press release.