Tune Therapeutics has built the TEMPO epigenome-editing platform to develop gene, cell, and regenerative therapies targeting common and chronic diseases. Its lead program, Tune-401, is a first-in-class investigational epigenetic silencer for chronic Hepatitis B that uses TEMPO and lipid nanoparticle delivery provided by Acuitas Therapeutics. The company reported a 2023 non-human primate milestone demonstrating durable repression of PCSK9 with an associated, sustained reduction in LDL cholesterol after a single transient delivery. In November 2024 Tune moved its lead program into the clinic with approvals to begin trials in New Zealand and subsequently Hong Kong, supported by hepatologists Dr. Ed Gane and Dr. Man-Fung Yuen. Tune says it will use new funding to advance its HBV clinical program, invest in platform capabilities, and expand additional gene, cell, and regenerative therapy programs. The company was founded in 2021 and operates from Durham, N.C. and Seattle. Tune Therapeutics is deploying TEMPO, a proprietary epigenomic therapy platform designed to fine‑tune the activity of genes and gene networks in cells. TEMPO consists of two modules: a targeting module that binds to specific DNA sequences and an effector module that dials gene activity up or down by acting on epigenetic marks. The company relies on an epigenome‑editing approach involving a two‑component protein (dCas9 plus an effector), and recent academic work from the team has shown activation in stem cells and silencing of a cholesterol regulator in mouse livers. Tune aims to advance from proof‑of‑concept in rare, single‑gene disorders to treating common conditions that are not linked to a single mutation but are amenable to epigenomic control. The company operates in Seattle and Durham, N.C., has about 35 employees, and is hiring for additional positions. Leadership and scientific guidance include co‑founders and senior staff Charles Gersbach (acting CSO), Akira Matsuno (president and CFO), Fyodor Urnov (chair, scientific advisory board), and CEO Matt Kane.

Total raised

$215M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Jan 2025