Beyond Gout: Atom's Pipeline Targets Inflammation's Core Role in Disease

HANGZHOU, China – June 15, 2026 – Next week at the BIO International Convention in San Diego, a presentation by a clinical-stage biotech from Hangzhou is poised to draw significant attention from investors and pharmaceutical giants alike. Atom Therapeutics is scheduled to unveil updated clinical data for its two lead drug candidates, a move that highlights not only a formidable new strategy against the ancient scourge of gout but also a far more ambitious campaign targeting the central role of inflammation in cardiovascular disease.

While the press release focuses on the upcoming presentation by Senior Vice President Roy J. Wu, the story runs much deeper. Atom is advancing a pair of small molecule drugs—Lingodlinurad (ABP-671) for chronic gout and ABP-745 for acute flares and heart disease—that have shown remarkable promise in clinical trials. With a recent Hong Kong IPO filing and nearly $170 million in funding from major investors, the company is signaling its transition from a promising domestic player to a potential global contender in some of medicine's most challenging fields.

A New Front in the War on Gout

Gout, an intensely painful form of inflammatory arthritis, has long been poorly managed despite the availability of treatments. For many of the millions of patients worldwide, first-line therapies like allopurinol are often inadequately dosed or fail to bring uric acid levels down to the recommended target of under 6 mg/dL. Other options carry significant baggage; febuxostat has a black box warning for cardiovascular risk, while older drugs like benzbromarone have been pulled from some markets over liver toxicity concerns.

Atom Therapeutics is tackling this unmet need with a two-pronged approach. For chronic gout, its lead candidate Lingodlinurad (ABP-671) is a novel URAT1 inhibitor, a class of drug that works by increasing the excretion of uric acid through the kidneys. The recently completed Phase 2b portion of its global trial demonstrated what one investigator called "best-in-class potential." The drug not only proved superior to allopurinol in lowering serum uric acid (sUA) but also showed a remarkable ability to dissolve tophi—the painful, crystalline masses that form in the joints and soft tissues of chronic sufferers—with a 91% response rate in diameter reduction within six months. Critically, Lingodlinurad has so far exhibited a clean safety profile, showing no signs of the liver or cardiovascular risks that have plagued its predecessors.

While Lingodlinurad addresses the chronic condition, Atom's second drug, ABP-745, targets the excruciating acute flares that define the disease. The current standard for flares, colchicine, is effective but notorious for gastrointestinal side effects and drug-drug interactions, limiting its use, especially in patients with other health issues. ABP-745 is a novel anti-inflammatory agent designed for superior efficacy and safety. A global Phase 2 trial comparing it to both placebo and colchicine is nearing completion, with top-line data expected in August. A positive result could provide a much-needed, better-tolerated option for patients in the throes of a debilitating attack.

The Inflammation Link: A Paradigm Shift in Cardiovascular Care

The true disruptive potential of Atom's pipeline, however, may lie with ABP-745's applications far beyond gout. The company is strategically leveraging the drug to target the burgeoning field of cardio-immunology, which recognizes chronic inflammation as a key, independent driver of heart disease.

For decades, the fight against atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD)—the underlying cause of most heart attacks and strokes—has focused on lowering cholesterol. Yet even with optimal statin therapy, many patients retain a significant "residual inflammatory risk." This has spurred a paradigm shift toward directly targeting the inflammatory cascade that contributes to plaque formation and rupture. ABP-745 is designed to do just that. It is a potent oral inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome, a key signaling platform in the innate immune system that, when activated, unleashes a torrent of inflammatory cytokines like IL-1β and IL-6.

By suppressing this entire pathway, ABP-745 aims to quell the chronic, low-grade inflammation that damages arteries. Preclinical animal studies are compelling, showing the drug reduced aortic plaque area by over 56%, and by more than 75% when combined with a statin. The FDA's recent approval of colchicine for secondary cardiovascular prevention validated this therapeutic strategy, but ABP-745 may hold key advantages. Early data suggests it has a wider therapeutic window and lacks the drug-drug interaction risks of colchicine, making it a potentially safer long-term option for a broad patient population.

A multi-country Phase 2 trial of ABP-745 for ASCVD was launched in April, with data expected in late 2027. Atom is also planning further Phase 2 trials for other inflammatory heart conditions, including pericarditis and heart failure, where safer anti-inflammatory options are desperately needed.

A Rising Player on the Global Stage

Founded in 2012, Atom Therapeutics has been methodically building its pipeline and financial foundation. Backed by prominent venture firms including Kaitai Capital, Sequoia Capital China, and Fortune Capital, the company has secured the resources to push its lead candidates through late-stage global trials. Its application for an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in late 2025 further underscores its ambition to scale its operations and commercialize its assets on a global stage.

The company is entering a competitive arena. Several other biotechs, including Arthrosi Therapeutics and China's own Hengrui Pharma, are also advancing next-generation URAT1 inhibitors. Likewise, the race to develop NLRP3 inhibitors for inflammatory diseases is heating up. However, Atom's dual focus on both chronic and acute gout, combined with its ambitious expansion into the vast cardiovascular market, gives it a unique strategic position.

The upcoming presentation at the BIO convention is more than a routine data update; it is a strategic platform for a company on the cusp of a major transition. As Atom seeks partners to navigate complex global regulatory and commercial pathways, the strength of its clinical data will be paramount. The results for Lingodlinurad and the multi-indication promise of ABP-745 represent a compelling narrative of innovation aimed squarely at the intersection of metabolic, inflammatory, and cardiovascular disease, where the potential for transformative patient impact—and commercial success—is immense.