Alita Pharmaceuticals

Alita Pharmaceuticals was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative, non-invasive treatments for acute pain. The company's primary focus was the development of ARX-04, a sublingual sufentanil tablet designed for rapid pain relief in medically supervised environments. In December 2010, Alita was acquired by AcelRx Pharmaceuticals (now Talphera) in an all-stock transaction to strengthen AcelRx's pain management portfolio. This acquisition successfully transitioned Alita's lead asset into AcelRx's pipeline, eventually resulting in the FDA approval of DSUVIA in 2018. Alita was supported by a syndicate of leading venture capital firms, including Domain Associates, New Leaf Venture Partners, and Versant Ventures. The company was headquartered in Redwood City, California, and led by experienced pharmaceutical executives.