Athira Pharma is a late clinical stage American biopharmaceutical company developing small molecules to restore neuronal health and stop the neurodegeneration brought on by diseases such as

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

and

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a neurodegenerative disease primarily of the central nervous system, affecting both motor system, motor and non-motor systems. Symptoms typically develop gradually and non-motor issues become ...

. The company's lead candidate, ATH-1017, is in human studies for Alzheimer's disease as of 2021. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. Funding that supports the company is from both public and private investment groups including the

Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation The Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 by co-chairmen Leonard A. Lauder and Ronald S. Lauder of the Estée Lauder Companies cosmetics family and led by Howard Fillit, a geriatrician and ne ...

, Dolby Family Ventures, the State of Washington's Life Sciences Discovery Fund, The W Fund, WRF Capital, and other private investors. Leen Kawas served as the company's first President and CEO, but resigned in October 2021, after an independent special committee found she "altered images in scientific papers she authored." In 2025, the company paid a $4 million settlement in relation to allegations that the CEO falsified research to secure a federal grant. On October 21, 2021, Mark Litton, Ph.D., M.B.A. became chief executive officer.

History

The company has received financial support from venture capitalist groups and angel investors through four rounds of funding to date. Athira Pharma was known as M3 Biotechnology until it underwent a name change on April 11, 2019.

Core technology

The company's lead asset, ATH-1017, is in human trials of Alzheimer's disease as of 2021. ATH-1017 is a small molecule therapeutic specifically designed to enhance the activity of

hepatocyte growth factor Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or scatter factor (SF) is a paracrine cellular growth, motility and morphogenic factor. It is secreted by mesenchymal cells and targets and acts primarily upon epithelial cells and endothelial cells, but also acts ...

(HGF) and its receptor, MET, which are expressed in normal central nervous system function. It aims to regenerate lost connections in the brain, protect brain cells from further damage, and prevent additional neuronal deterioration. ATH-1017 is currently being tested in two clinical studies: ACT-AD and LIFT-AD.

References

External links

*{{Official website, http://www.athira.com/ Biotechnology companies of the United States American companies established in 2011 Companies based in Seattle 2011 establishments in Washington (state) Biotechnology companies established in 2011