Participated · Series A · Nov 2025

MindImmune Therapeutics engineers therapies that target the immune system’s role in neurodegeneration, aiming to curb the neuroinflammatory processes that accelerate diseases like Alzheimer’s. Its research identifies and modulates specific biological pathways responsible for inflammation-driven neuronal damage. The company is advancing a new class of drug candidates designed to meaningfully change the course of neurodegenerative disorders rather than merely treating symptoms. With its latest capital, MindImmune plans to complete critical translational studies and prepare an Investigational New Drug (IND) submission to the FDA. The funding will also underwrite strategic planning for the program’s first clinical trials, bringing its lead candidates closer to human testing. Although revenue figures have not been disclosed, the $5 million infusion strengthens the firm’s financial runway as it moves from preclinical work toward early clinical development.

Participated · Series A · May 2025

Therini Bio is a clinical-stage biotech based in Sacramento, California developing fibrin-targeting immunotherapies for neurodegenerative diseases driven by vascular dysfunction. Led by CEO Tara Nickerson, Ph.D., the company’s lead candidate, THN391, is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed to selectively block fibrin-mediated neuroinflammation without affecting coagulation pathways. THN391 demonstrated activity in preclinical studies preventing vascular and neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease and retinal disease models. In a Phase 1a trial in healthy volunteers, THN391 was well-tolerated, showed no adverse hematological effects or impact on coagulation and fibrinolysis, lacked an anti-drug antibody response, and had dose-proportional pharmacokinetics with a half-life supporting monthly dosing. The company plans to use proceeds to fund Phase 1b trials of THN391 in Alzheimer’s Disease and diabetic macular edema and to support development of a fibrin/VEGF bispecific. Financially, Therini raised an additional $39M in a Series A extension, increasing its Series A total to $75M. Therini Bio develops therapeutic candidates that selectively target the inflammatory component of fibrin to treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis, and retinal diseases including diabetic macular edema. Its lead program is a humanized monoclonal antibody, THN391, which binds the inflammation-driving region of fibrin and—based on preclinical studies—does not impair fibrin’s role in blood clotting. The company plans to advance THN391 into clinical trials and expects to announce key safety and proof-of-mechanism clinical data by the end of 2024. Therini’s pipeline aims to provide first-in-class approaches to reduce fibrin-mediated inflammation and inhibit microglial activation in the brain. The foundational science was licensed from Katerina Akassoglou’s laboratories at the Gladstone Institutes at UCSF (and formerly UCSD). Financially, the company has raised capital including a $36M Series A and holds a NIH NIA non-dilutive grant awarded in 2021 to support its Alzheimer’s program through 2024. Therini Bio is a South San Francisco–based vascular biology company focused on discovering and developing therapeutics that target fibrin. Its lead program is a monoclonal antibody against fibrin, which the company plans to advance toward the clinic for patients with inflammatory conditions associated with vascular damage. The company was co‑founded by Dr. Katerina Akassoglou and Dan Burgess, who serves as President and CEO, and is a spin‑out from the Gladstone Institutes based on technology from Dr. Akassoglou's laboratory. Therini previously announced initial seed funding of $9.35M in 2020 led by the Dementia Discovery Fund, Dolby Family Ventures and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation. It has also received support from the Fast Forward program of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Proceeds from the latest financing will be used to accelerate development of the lead program toward clinical testing. MedaRed is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing therapeutics that target fibrin. The company was founded upon the work of Dr. Katerina Akassoglou of Gladstone Institutes and UCSF, who discovered molecules that reduce neuroinflammation and subsequent neuronal damage. MedaRed intends to develop those molecules into fibrin-targeting therapeutics for diseases with significant unmet clinical need. Its initial therapeutic focus is on Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. Leadership includes acting CEO Daniel Burgess and Chief Scientific Officer Jeffrey Stavenhagen, who brings two decades of scientific leadership in biologics development. The company recently completed seed financing to support its preclinical development and advancement of its candidates.

Participated · Series B · Aug 2024

NeuroTherapia, led by President and CEO Tony Giordano and based in Cleveland, OH, is a clinical-stage biotech developing oral, small-molecule drugs to address neuro-inflammatory CNS conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Its lead program, NTRX-07, is an orally available cannabinoid receptor agonist intended to inhibit microglia-mediated inflammation without affecting clearance of toxic beta amyloid. The company says its therapeutics aim to inhibit proteins expressed by microglia that drive CNS inflammation while preserving amyloid clearance. NeuroTherapia raised $12.3M in a Series B financing and intends to use the proceeds for continued clinical development of NTRX-07. The company plans a second close in six months to raise additional funds to enable development of a recently discovered second-generation molecule for a separate indication driven by neuroinflammation. No operating metrics (revenue/users) were disclosed in the article. NeuroTherapia is an early-stage clinical pharmaceutical company developing NTRX-07, a first-in-class drug candidate for Alzheimer’s disease. The company announced it has received a grant from the Alzheimer’s Association Part the Cloud program to support development of NTRX-07. NTRX-07 is being developed as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. The grant provides funding to advance the program through development. As an early-stage clinical firm, NeuroTherapia's near-term plans center on progressing NTRX-07. The company issued the announcement in a press release from NeuroTherapia, Inc. NeuroTherapia is a Cleveland, OH-based clinical-stage company developing NTRX-07, an orally available cannabinoid receptor agonist aimed at treating neuroinflammation implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. The company is completing its first-in-human clinical trial of NTRX-07, with part of the trial funded by an Alzheimer’s Association grant. It closed an $8.8M Series A to finish the first-in-human work and to undertake additional preclinical studies. The planned preclinical studies are intended to support subsequent clinical trials by demonstrating safety following longer-term administration and showing biological activity. Separately, NeuroTherapia received a $150,000 Technology Validation and Start-up Fund grant from Ohio Third Frontier to complete biodistribution research after radiolabeling the molecule. The company also strengthened its board with the addition of Karoly Nikolich, Ph.D., joining existing board members including the chairman Mr. Reher, President and CEO Tony Giordano, Ph.D., and Akhil Saklecha, M.D., from Cleveland Clinic.