The identification of new targets in diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s – conditions which continue to have significant unmet needs – has taken a small step forward as one company, Violet Therapeutics Inc., plans to put $10.6 million in seed funding toward building out a pipeline based on technologies that elucidate the way cells interact amongst one another.
A team of scientists led by The Wistar Institute has been awarded a 5-year National Cancer Institute (NCI) Program Project Grant valued at more than $12 million to explore the role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in epithelial cancers. The project, which brings together scientists from The Wistar Institute and Harvard University, will focus entirely on the EBV-epithelial cancer link and look at metabolic and epigenetic vulnerabilities simultaneously.
Septerna Inc. has closed a US$150 million series B financing and will use the funds to continue development of its portfolio of G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-targeted, oral small-molecule drug candidates, including advancement of its lead program targeting the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R) to clinical proof of mechanism.
Crossbow Therapeutics Inc. has launched with US$80 million in series A funding. The financing will allow Crossbow to advance the development of novel therapies that potently target peptide-loaded major histocompatibility complexes on cancer cells, using antibodies that mimic T-cell receptors (TCR).
Thryv Therapeutics Inc. has announced the closing of a $5 million convertible note investment, the proceeds of which will be used to accelerate development of its pipeline, including preclinical programs in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and atrial fibrillation.
Dualyx NV has completed a €40 million (US$44 million) series A financing, allowing the company to advance its lead autoimmune program, DT-001, as well as its pipeline of regulatory T-cell (Treg) candidates.
Initial Therapeutics Inc. has launched with a focus on developing medicines that block difficult-to-drug protein targets with a new mode of action – selective termination of protein synthesis (STOPS).
Therini Bio Inc. has closed a US$36 million series A financing round that will support its work on developing fibrin-targeted therapies for diseases driven by chronic inflammation, including Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and retinal diseases such as diabetic macular edema.
Albatroz Therapeutics Pte Ltd. has secured $3 million in funding to accelerate the development of therapeutic antibodies against a novel target that degrades the extracellular matrix, a key contributor to cancer and arthritis.