Latus Bio Launches with $54 Million to Deliver Gene Therapies Directly to the Brain

Rare Daily Staff

Latus Bio, a company developing improved gene therapies that target central nervous system disorders, has launched with $54 million series A financing,  according to reporting by Endpoints News.

Founded by Beverly Davidson, a co-founder of Spark Therapeutics and director of the Center for Cellular Medicine and Molecular Therapeutics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2022 and based on capsid work from her lab, Latus is focused on improving the delivery vehicle of gene therapies.

Using massively-parallel, high throughput and unbiased screening of AAV capsids, the company’s capsids are designed to accurately target tissues and reduce unwanted interactions, minimizing the risks of immunogenicity and toxicity, and delivering the payload exactly where it’s needed—the brain, in Latus’ case, that it says can fundamentally change how CNS diseases are treated.

The company is currently developing three one-and-done gene therapies for rare indications: Huntington’s disease; CLN2 or Batten’s disease; and an unnamed disorder.

8VC and DCVC Bio led the round, with participation by Samsung Bioepis, Samsung Life Science Fund, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Foundation, Benjamin Franklin Technology Partners, Modi Ventures, and Gaingels.