This episode dives deep into the role of chronic inflammation in diseases ranging from Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease to obesity and arthritis. Halia Therapeutics CEO Dave Bearss explains how his company is developing new treatments that go to the root of inflammation rather than just managing symptoms.

Key Points:

Halia Therapeutics is pioneering drugs that dismantle the cellular machinery behind chronic inflammation. Their approach offers hope for safer, longer-lasting treatment across a wide range of age-related diseases.

• Cracking the Code of Inflammation: While acute inflammation is a protective immune response, chronic inflammation fuels many diseases. Halia targets this harmful process at its source: the inflammasome—a protein complex that wrongly keeps the immune system switched on.
• The Genetic Breakthrough That Sparked a Company: The company began after discovering a protective genetic mutation in a Utah family with Alzheimer’s risk. This mutation revealed a novel way to turn off inflammatory signaling, inspiring Halia’s development of small-molecule drugs that mimic this effect.
• NEK7- The Inflammation Switch: Halia’s lead drug, HT-6184, blocks a key protein (NEK7) involved in assembling the inflammasome. This not only halts inflammation at its origin but also helps disassemble the existing protein complex—something current drugs can’t do.
• Promising Clinical Trials and Broader Applications: HT-6184 is in Phase 2 trials for conditions like myelodysplastic syndrome (a bone marrow disorder). Early data show it boosts blood production and lowers inflammatory markers. A separate trial targeting postsurgical inflammation also showed reduced pain without opioids.
• Next-Gen Targets- Obesity, Arthritis & Neurodegeneration: Halia plans to explore obesity-linked inflammation and combine their drugs with GLP-1 therapies. They're also investigating brain inflammation in Alzheimer’s, aiming to intervene early—before damage accumulates—rather than treating symptoms late.
• Longevity Potential Through Weekly Dosing: By quieting low-grade inflammation without suppressing healthy immune responses, Halia envisions its drugs as preventative treatments—similar to statins for cholesterol. This could delay chronic disease onset, improve healthspan, and help meet the needs of aging populations.