Verge Genomics Inc. is at a "watershed" moment, poised for breakthroughs in neurodegenerative disease at the same moment that big pharma is largely exiting the field, according to Alice Zhang, co-founder and CEO. That dichotomy represents a boon for Verge, she said, and investors apparently agreed. The company closed an oversubscribed $32 million series A led by DFJ that included new investors Wuxi Apptec Corporate Venture Fund, ALS Investment Fund, Agent Capital and OS Fund. The round is designed to advance preclinical candidates in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson's disease (PD) through medicinal chemistry studies and toward IND filings while continuing to advance the company's proprietary dataset.