Connect Biopharma Holdings Ltd

Connect Biopharma, headquartered in San Diego, California, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving care for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The company is developing rademikibart, an antibody designed to target interleukin-4-receptor alpha (IL-4Rα). Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease affecting an estimated 23 million adults and 5 million children in the U.S. Globally, asthma affected an estimated 262 million people in 2019 and caused 455,000 deaths. The disease is associated with severe flare-ups that are challenging to treat and often lead to hospitalization. Approximately one million asthma patients visit emergency departments annually, with about 11% of these requiring hospitalization for an average of two to three days. Approximately 50% of asthma patients who visit emergency departments experience treatment failure within four weeks of a flare-up. About 20% of these patients need to revisit the emergency department, and an additional 30% seek medical care from other sources like urgent care or clinics. Current standard treatments include fast-acting inhaled bronchodilators and oral or intravenous (IV) corticosteroids. Severe cases may require IV magnesium sulfate, heliox therapy, and noninvasive ventilation, with intubation considered if initial therapies are ineffective. Approximately 50% of patients do not improve with first-line treatments.