Berotralstat

Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disorder associated with severe swelling of the skin and upper airway. It is caused by mutations in the regulatory or coding regions of the gene that encodes C1 inhibitor (SERPING1), which result in either a deficiency (type I) or dysfunction (type II) of C1 inhibitor (C1 esterase inhibitor, C1-INH). C1 inhibitor is a serine protease inhibitor that normally regulates bradykinin production by covalently binding to and inactivating plasma kallikrein.

Plasma kallikrein is a protease that cleaves high-molecular-weight-kininogen (HMWK) to generate cleaved HMWK (cHMWK). During HAE attacks, the levels of plasma kallikrein fall, leading to the cleavage of high-molecular-weight-kininogen and the release of bradykinin, a potent vasodilator that increases vascular permeability. Bradykinin plays a major role in promoting edema and pain associated with HAE. Patients with HAE cannot properly regulate plasma kallikrein activity due to the deficiency or dysfunction of a serum inhibitor of C1 inhibitor, leading to uncontrolled increases in plasma kallikrein activity and recurrent angioedema attacks. Berotralstat is a potent inhibitor of plasma kallikrein that works by binding to plasma kallikrein and blocking its proteolytic activity, thereby controlling excess bradykinin generation.