Pivotal bioVenture Partners China Announces Formation of SanReno Therapeutics

Shanghai, China December 3, 2021 – Pivotal bioVenture Partners China, a leading venture capital fund in the field of life sciences, today announced the formation of SanReno Therapeutics with Frazier Healthcare Partners, a well-known medical funds in the United States, and Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: KDNY), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of precision medicines for kidney disease. SanReno Therapeutics is a joint venture with an investor syndicate led by Pivotal bioVenture Partners China and Frazier Healthcare Partners to develop, manufacture and commercialize kidney disease therapies in Greater China, which includes mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as Singapore, and Chinook has granted SanReno exclusive rights to develop and commercialize atrasentan and BION-1301 in Greater China and Singapore. Existing Chinook investors Versant Ventures and Samsara BioCapital had also invested in SanReno. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Frazier and Chinook to build SanReno and unlock the treatment potential of atrasentan and BION-1301 in China,” said Dianna Qian, partner of Pivotal bioVenture Partners China. “Kidney disease is an area with large unmet need in China. Atrasentan and BION-1301 are promising programs in development and we are pleased to partner in this joint venture with Frazier and Chinook, who share the same value system as Pivotal.” “Frazier is excited to partner with Pivotal and Chinook to bring potentially best-in-class drugs to the Chinese market for patients suffering from serious kidney diseases,” said Patrick Heron, managing partner of Frazier Healthcare Partners. “With Frazier’s proven track record in company creation and Pivotal’s extensive expertise building joint ventures in China, SanReno will have exceptional operational support and be well-positioned for success.” “Formation of this joint venture allows Chinook to expand our global reach and establish a presence in China with investors who are experienced in company formation, drug development and commercialization in the region,” said Eric Dobmeier, president and chief executive officer of Chinook Therapeutics. “Chronic kidney disease is a major public health concern in China, affecting over ten percent of the population, including several million patients with IgAN. Working with SanReno will expand Chinook’s access to Chinese patient populations, key opinion leader networks and on-the-ground operational support to accelerate enrollment and regulatory approval of our programs. The formation of SanReno is a testament to our commitment to making dialysis and transplant unnecessary for people living with kidney disease globally.” About Pivotal bioVenture Partners China Pivotal bioVenture Partners China, a member of Nan Fung Life Sciences, is a venture capital firm specializing in venture building in the life sciences industry. Its investment strategy is centered on identifying promising innovative products and technologies and bringing them to serve the growing unmet medical needs in Greater China region by building new ventures. Its investment areas include therapeutics, medical devices and medical services. The Pivotal China team includes experienced life science investors and entrepreneurs with successful track records of venture building and investing. For more information about Pivotal bioVenture Partners China, visit www.pivotalbiovp.com. About Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. Chinook Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing precision medicines for kidney diseases. Chinook’s product candidates are being investigated in rare, severe chronic kidney disorders with opportunities for well-defined clinical pathways. Chinook’s lead program is atrasentan, a phase 3 endothelin receptor antagonist for the treatment of IgA nephropathy and other proteinuric glomerular diseases. BION-1301, an anti-APRIL monoclonal antibody is being evaluated in a phase 1/2 trial for IgA nephropathy. In addition, Chinook is advancing CHK-336, an oral small molecule LDHA inhibitor for the treatment of primary hyperoxaluria, as well as research programs for other rare, severe chronic kidney diseases. Chinook is building its pipeline by leveraging insights in kidney single cell RNA sequencing, human-derived organoids and new translational models, to discover and develop therapeutics with differentiating mechanisms of action against key kidney disease pathways. To learn more, visit www.chinooktx.com. About Frazier Healthcare Partners Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a leading provider of growth and venture capital to healthcare companies. With over $7.1 billion total capital raised, Frazier has invested in more than 200 companies, with investment types ranging from company creation and venture capital to publicly traded companies and buyouts of profitable lower-middle market companies. Headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., the Frazier Life Sciences team invests globally in private and publicly traded companies that develop and commercialize innovative biopharmaceuticals to address important unmet medical needs. Since 2005, 61 Frazier Life Sciences portfolio companies, many of which were created or seeded by Frazier, have completed IPOs or M&As. For more information about Frazier Life Sciences, visit www.frazierhealthcare.com/life-sciences