First new on-demand HAE treatment in over a decade, with potential to transform management of the disease
Data demonstrated rapid symptom relief and attack resolution regardless of attack severity, location, age, or use of long-term prophylaxis, and well-established safety profile
Management to host conference call today at 8:30 a.m. ET
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & SALISBURY, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul. 7, 2025-- KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: KALV) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved EKTERLY® (sebetralstat), a novel plasma kallikrein inhibitor, for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older. EKTERLY is the first and only oral on-demand treatment for HAE.
“The FDA approval of EKTERLY is a defining moment for people living with HAE,” said Ben Palleiko, CEO of KalVista. “EKTERLY enables people to treat attacks the moment symptoms begin, wherever they are. This approval affirms the strength of our science and deep commitment to the HAE community. I am profoundly grateful to the KalVista team for their dedication and perseverance, and to the patients and healthcare providers, as well as the HAEA and HAEi, for making this possible. EKTERLY has the potential to become the foundational treatment for HAE and our focus now is on delivering it to the people who need it.”
“As the first orally administered on-demand therapy for HAE attacks, EKTERLY provides patients and physicians with an important and welcome advance in HAE treatment options,” said Anthony J. Castaldo, chief executive officer of the U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association.
Prior to EKTERLY’s approval, all on-demand HAE treatment options approved in the U.S. required intravenous or subcutaneous administration, which carries a significant treatment burden.1 Even with the use of long-term prophylaxis as a preventative therapy, most people living with HAE continue to have unpredictable attacks and require ready access to on-demand medication.1
“This is an important moment for patients, giving people living with HAE a treatment option that could provide greater independence and control over managing their condition,” said Marc A. Riedl, MD, Professor of Medicine and Clinical Director, U.S. Hereditary Angioedema Association Center at the University of California, San Diego, and an investigator for the KONFIDENT phase 3 trial. “Until now, on-demand treatment relied on injectable subcutaneous or intravenous administration, often resulting in delayed intervention. Having an oral option empowers patients to treat attacks early, which aligns with treatment guidelines and advances our goal as physicians to reduce the overall burden of disease.”
The efficacy and safety of EKTERLY was established by the results from KalVista’s phase 3 KONFIDENT clinical trial, which was the largest clinical trial program ever conducted in HAE. Data from KONFIDENT was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in May 2024, showing that EKTERLY achieved significantly faster symptom relief, reduction in attack severity and attack resolution than placebo, and was well-tolerated with a safety profile similar to placebo.2 The trial randomized 136 HAE patients from 66 clinical sites across 20 countries. These results were further supported by the more real-world KONFIDENT-S open-label extension trial, which as of September 2024, showed that EKTERLY enabled patients to treat attacks in a median of 10 minutes following onset. The most recent data from KONFIDENT-S shows that beginning of symptom relief occurred in a median of 1.3 hours among attacks involving the larynx, the abdomen, and for breakthrough attacks among patients receiving long-term prophylaxis. The safety profile of EKTERLY 600 mg in KONFIDENT-S, in a much larger number of attacks (>1700), was consistent with that observed in KONFIDENT.
KalVista will launch EKTERLY in the U.S. immediately and physicians can begin writing prescriptions today. As part of the Company’s commitment to supporting patients, KalVista has established KalVista Cares™, a comprehensive patient support program that offers personalized services and resources for eligible individuals. This includes assistance with navigating insurance coverage, access support, and ongoing help throughout the treatment journey.
About Hereditary Angioedema
Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a rare genetic disease resulting in deficiency or dysfunction in the C1 esterase inhibitor (C1INH) protein and subsequent uncontrolled activation of the kallikrein-kinin system. People living with HAE experience painful and debilitating attacks of tissue swelling in various locations of the body that can be life-threatening depending on the area affected. Treatment guidelines recommend treating attacks as early as possible to prevent progression of swelling and shorten the time to attack resolution, and to consider treatment for all attacks, regardless of anatomic location or severity.
About EKTERLY® (sebetralstat)
EKTERLY (sebetralstat), a novel plasma kallikrein inhibitor, is the first and only oral on-demand therapy approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in people 12 years of age and older. With ongoing studies exploring its use in children aged two to 11 and multiple regulatory applications under review in key global markets, EKTERLY has the potential to become the foundational therapy for HAE management worldwide.
About KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
KalVista Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and delivering life-changing oral therapies for individuals affected by rare diseases with significant unmet needs. In the U.S., KalVista markets EKTERLY®, the first and only oral on-demand treatment for hereditary angioedema (HAE). The Company has multiple regulatory applications under review in key global markets.
1Busse PJ, et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2021;9(1):132–150.e3. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2020.08.046.
2 Riedl MA, et al. Oral sebetralstat for on-demand treatment of hereditary angioedema attacks. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(1):32–43.