Latus Bio has closed a $97 million Series A financing round. The significant capital infusion is intended to accelerate the company’s clinical pipeline, specifically targeting devastating neurodegenerative conditions that have long eluded effective treatment due to delivery challenges.
The oversubscribed round illustrates the growing enthusiasm of investors for the category of Gene Therapy 2.0 technologies that reach beyond the constraints of the initial viral delivery solutions. Latus Bio aims to do this through the design of very specialised adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids.
Solving the Deep Brain Delivery Challenge
Gene therapy has long been trying to deliver to the central nervous system (CNS). The serotypes use target brain through AAVs’ difficulty penetrating structures or require large doses risk systemic toxicity and adverse effects. Latus Bio believes it has overcome this barrier. With a unique discovery engine that searched 6.8 million capsid variants, they were able to identify a lead candidate. This is labelled AAV-DB-3.
Source: latus
Preclinical data published in Nature Communications indicated that this vector was capable of transducing the deep brain structures, such as the basal ganglia, at doses 10–100 fold lower than current industry standards.
“This financing supports our strategy to expand gene therapy to larger diseases that affect millions of patients,” said Dr P. Peter Ghoroghchian, CEO of Latus Bio. “By combining engineered capsids with optimal delivery routes, we aim to achieve specific targeting at ultra-low doses, which is the key to improving safety and reducing manufacturing costs.”
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A Robust Pipeline: Huntington’s and Beyond
The $97 million will primarily fund the advancement of Latus Bio’s two lead programmes:
- LTS-201 (Huntington’s Disease): This candidate is aimed at knocking down the MSH3 gene, which causes the DNA instability that causes Huntington’s. A single, precise, brain-deep targeted injection of medium spiny neurones will be enough to halt disease progression. An Investigational New Drug (IND) submission is planned for Q3 2026.
- LTS-101 (CLN2 Disease): This programme, directed at a rare but fatal paediatric neurodegenerative disorder, has to date secured an IND clearance from the FDA and orphan drug and fast track designations.
Apart from those specific injections, the company is mining its database of delivery zip codes to diversify into other diseases, such as Parkinson’s, and diseases and conditions of the kidney, eye, and heart.
The Investor Syndicate
The Series A was co-led by 8VC and DCVC Bio, along with 14 other institutional investors. The participation of CHOP is interesting, as Latus Bio’s technologies are derived from the ecosystem in Philadelphia. The company maintains facilities in both Philadelphia and Boston’s Seaport District.
“Latus Bio isn’t just making incremental improvements; they are rewriting the delivery rules for CNS therapies,” said Kiersten Stead. “Their ability to reach specific cell types at a fraction of the traditional dose changes the economic and safety profile.”
