CereCura Nanotherapeutics launches with $1.4 Million Seed Funding to Deliver Brain Therapeutics via LNP technology
TORONTO, ON – CereCura nanotherapeutics has secured $1.4 million in seed funding to advance its platform for delivering mRNA-based therapeutics directly to the brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The company is leveraging lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology – initially popularized by COVID-19 vaccines – to enable the brain to manufacture its own therapeutic proteins.
This funding round positions CereCura to address currently untreatable neurological conditions. The company’s lead program focuses on neuronopathic Gaucher disease,a rare and perhaps fatal genetic disorder caused by a deficiency in the glucocerebrosidase enzyme. CereCura is also developing potential treatments for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, conditions where delivering beneficial proteins to the brain has historically proven challenging.
“LNPs offer a way of bringing ‘the mRNA blueprint that codes for the protein that we think would be therapeutic’ to the brain so it can manufacture those proteins internally itself, bypassing the BBB,” explained CereCura CEO Bernier.Current treatment options, like enzyme replacement therapy, involve intravenous infusions of the missing protein, but their effectiveness in the brain is limited. CereCura’s LNP approach boasts a significantly longer “half-life” – approximately one week – compared to the hours of efficacy seen with direct injections.
The seed funding was led by WUTIF Capital, with COO Aaron Stuart stating, “We decided to invest in CereCura becuase we were incredibly impressed by the team, their accomplishments, and their vision for the future…We’re proud to support such a noble mission and see huge upside potential.”
CereCura aims to build a pipeline of pre-clinically validated drug assets, capitalizing on the versatility of its LNP technology. The company is led by a team including Cullis,whose experiance is expected to be instrumental in navigating the path toward commercialization.