Trine Pharmaceuticals

Trine Pharmaceuticals was a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing small molecule therapies for metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases. Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, the company was established in 2003 to acquire and develop assets from the former Essential Therapeutics. Its lead product candidate, TRN-157 (ferric citrate), was a late-stage phosphate binder developed for the treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with chronic kidney disease. In 2008, the company was acquired by Warner Chilcott for $150 million in an upfront cash transaction. The acquisition allowed Warner Chilcott to expand its presence in the renal and GI therapeutic categories. The lead asset, ferric citrate, was eventually commercialized by Keryx Biopharmaceuticals under the brand name Auryxia.