Lumena Pharmaceuticals

Lumena Pharmaceuticals was a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapies for rare cholestatic liver diseases and metabolic disorders. The company's primary approach involved the inhibition of the apical sodium-dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT), a protein responsible for recycling bile acids from the small intestine back to the liver. By blocking this transporter, Lumena's lead candidates aimed to reduce elevated bile acid levels, which are associated with severe pruritus and liver damage in patients with conditions like Alagille syndrome and primary biliary cholangitis. Its lead program, maralixibat, was evaluated in multiple Phase 2 trials for rare pediatric and adult liver diseases. In 2014, the company was acquired by Shire for $260 million upfront to expand its rare disease portfolio. Following the acquisition, the assets eventually transitioned to Mirum Pharmaceuticals, where maralixibat received FDA approval as Livmarli.