USA – Neurona Therapeutics and Metagenomi, two pioneering biotechnology companies, have secured significant financial investments to advance their respective endeavors in tackling brain diseases and developing genetic medicines through gene editing technology.
Neurona Therapeutics, headquartered in San Francisco, has raised an impressive US$120 million in funding to further its research into cell therapies for brain diseases.
The company, founded in 2008 by a team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, specializes in developing “off-the-shelf” cell therapies, with its most advanced medicine, NRTX-1001, currently undergoing human testing for a common form of epilepsy.
Neurona plans to utilize the funds to continue the development of NRTX-1001, which shows promise not only in epilepsy but also in Alzheimer’s disease and other nervous system disorders.
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The partnership also allows BioNTech to leverage Autolus’ manufacturing capacity, accelerating the development of its BNT211 cell therapy for cancer.
Metagenomi raises US$94M to turbo-charge gene-editing tech
Metagenomi, a gene editing startup spun out of research at the University of California, Berkeley, has successfully completed a nearly US$94 million initial public offering (IPO) in the biotechnology sector.
The company’s innovative gene editing technology sifts through microbial DNA to identify new enzymes capable of editing genes.
The IPO proceeds will be directed towards the development of genetic medicines for various conditions, including hemophilia and transthyretin amyloidosis.
Metagenomi’s approach aims to address the limitations of existing gene editing technologies, offering more precise forms of gene editing and improved delivery methods.
The company boasts a pipeline of over a dozen programs focused on editing genes “in vivo” and is also exploring ex vivo cell therapies through strategic alliances.
The company’s most advanced drug prospects are for the rare disease’s hemophilia A, primary hyperoxaluria type 1 and transthyretin amyloidosis, all of which are in preclinical testing despite the company not revealing in its IPO filing when human trials might begin.
These significant funding milestones however highlight the growing interest and investment in biotechnology, particularly in areas addressing brain diseases and genetic medicines.
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