Latus Bio has closed a $97m Series A financing round to expand the reach of its gene therapies to wider patient groups.
The financing includes a $43m extension led by 8VC, with participation from existing investors BioAdvance, Benjamin Franklin Technology Partners, DCVC Bio, Gaingels, Hatch BioFund and Modi Ventures.
New investors Korea Development Bank and Helen’s Pink Sky Foundation also joined the round.
The proceeds from this round will also fund Latus Bio’s operations through key clinical milestones.
These include initial clinical data for its two lead candidates: LTS-201, which targets Huntington’s disease; and LTS-101, which targets late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2).
LTS-201 is designed to knock down MSH3, aiming to treat Huntington’s disease, with an investigational new drug (IND) submission planned for the third quarter of 2026.
Targeting the fatal neurodegenerative CLN2 disease, LTS-201 has received clearance for clinical trials, including relevant designations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). An investigator-initiated trial will start in the third quarter of 2026, with initial results anticipated by year-end.
In addition, the funds will support preclinical programmes using the company’s proprietary adeno-associated virus (AAV) discovery platform.
Latus Bio focuses on scaling gene therapies for both rare and more common diseases, combining AAV capsids with refined clinical administration. The pipeline includes capsid variants for possible use in heart, eye, kidney, and muscle diseases.
Latus Bio CEO Peter Ghoroghchian said: “This financing, completed in a highly selective capital environment for gene therapy, supports the advancement of our clinical pipeline and strategy to expand gene therapy to larger diseases that affect greater numbers of patients.
“By combining proprietary and engineered AAV capsids with optimal routes for clinical delivery, we aim to achieve robust cell- and tissue-specific transduction at low doses, which we believe is critical to improving safety, efficacy, manufacturability, and costs. This approach enables a repeatable model for developing therapies across multiple underserved indications with significant unmet need.”
Cell & Gene Therapy coverage on Pharmaceutical Technology is supported by Cytiva.
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