Key points from article :
CuraSen Therapeutics, a San Mateo-based biotech startup, has raised $54.5 million in Series A funding to advance treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Led by a team of seasoned industry executives, the company aims to address unmet needs in these challenging diseases by developing drugs that activate specific brain receptors to restore lost neuronal and glial functions. This novel approach could alleviate symptoms like cognitive decline, motor dysfunction, and memory loss.
Co-founder Mehrdad Shamloo, a Stanford neuroscientist, highlighted preclinical results showing that their approach significantly improves memory and learning, reduces hallmark Alzheimer’s pathologies like amyloid plaques and tau, and lowers brain inflammation. CuraSen expects to bring its first program into clinical trials by the end of 2019, marking a pivotal step forward in its mission.
The funding round was led by New Leaf Venture Partners, with backing from major investors like Longitude Capital and Johnson & Johnson Innovation. Anthony Ford, formerly of Afferent Pharmaceuticals, has been named CEO, and Kathleen Sereda Glaub will serve as executive chairperson. With its strong leadership team and innovative science, CuraSen is poised to make strides in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases.
CEO Ford emphasized the pressing need for new therapies in this space, underscoring the potential of their targeted mechanism to transform treatment landscapes for these debilitating conditions.
