PHILADELPHIA and BOSTON — Latus Bio Inc. has closed a $97 million Series A financing to advance its pipeline of gene therapies for larger patient populations, including programs in Huntington’s disease and CLN2 disease.
The financing includes a $43 million extension led by 8VC, with participation from existing investors DCVC Bio, BioAdvance, Benjamin Franklin Technology Partners, Modi Ventures, Gaingels and Hatch BioFund. Korea Development Bank and Helen’s Pink Sky Foundation joined as new investors.
Latus said the proceeds are expected to fund operations through key milestones, including initial clinical data from its two most advanced programs. Those include LTS-201, an investigational gene therapy for Huntington’s disease, and LTS-101, a program for late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2, or CLN2 disease.
The company is developing proprietary engineered AAV capsids and delivery approaches intended to make gene therapies more scalable for larger rare and non-rare disease populations. Latus said its platform is designed to enable efficient delivery at lower doses, which could support improved safety, manufacturability and cost.
“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,” said P. Peter Ghoroghchian, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Latus Bio. “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. We are advancing LTS-201 toward a first-in-human study in Huntington’s disease, which is our first step into large-rare CNS indications. In parallel, LTS-101 for CLN2 disease will advance towards initial clinical data in late 2026 through an investigator-initiated trial.”
LTS-201 is designed to knock down MSH3, which Latus said drives the underlying process of somatic instability in Huntington’s disease. The company said the program is on track for an investigational new drug application submission in the third quarter of 2026. Preclinical data have shown targeting of medium spiny neurons in the deep brain, supporting the potential for durable benefit from a single administration.
LTS-101, which targets CLN2 disease, has received investigational new drug clearance, Orphan Drug Designation, Rare Pediatric Disease Designation and Fast Track Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Latus expects a first-in-human investigator-initiated trial to begin in the third quarter of 2026, with initial safety, biomarker and clinical results expected by the end of the year.
“Investor support for this financing reflects conviction in Latus’ differentiated and scalable approaches to gene therapy,” said Francisco Gimenez, Partner, 8VC. “The Company’s strategy to focus on large-rare and broader CNS indications, combined with its novel capsid engineering and clinically-grounded delivery approach, positions it to address longstanding limitations to gene therapy access. We believe this integrated platform has the potential to support repeatable clinical success across multiple programs, with a major commercial unlock in Huntington’s disease. When coupled with near-term validation from LTS-101, there is a clear path to expansion into more prevalent disease populations.”
Beyond central nervous system disorders, Latus is advancing capsid variants with potential applications in kidney, eye, heart and muscle diseases through its discovery engine. The company said it also plans to pursue strategic partnerships to expand development of novel capsid variants and address non-core and non-CNS indications.
