Immunology startup Merida Bio unveils lead program for $121 million and Regus disease
Immunology remains one of the most active areas of drug research, as the field aims to bring new ways to patients to eliminate antibodies that drive autoimmune diseases, but also does not damage the immune system. Merida Biosciences, a startup composed of venture capital firm Third Rock Ventures, emerged from Stealth on Tuesday, revealing a $121 million financing and a leading program for the general autoimmune condition that has not yet been approved for new treatments for decades.
The main disease target in Cambridge, Massachusetts is Graves' disease, which is attacked by the immune system by the immune system, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, thyroid, is a butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck. Thyroid hormone regulates metabolism and growth functions. In Graves' disease, attack on the glands can lead to an overproduction of thyroid hormones, which speeds up the heart rate and weakens the bones.
Treatment for standard graves includes radioiodine therapy to shrink glands, antithyroid drugs or beta blockers to block the effects of thyroid hormones on the body. Each of these treatments introduces complication risk elsewhere in the body. Surgical removal of the thyroid is another treatment option, but the patient then needs lifelong hormone replacement therapy.
Merida is developing drugs designed to selectively bind FC receptors to receptors on immune cells that regulate immune responses. The company said its protein engineering platform generates unique FC therapies that can selectively bind to its antibody targets. These drugs then eliminate these antibodies by leveraging built-in mechanisms to clear the antibody complexes, which are the molecular structures formed when the antibody binds to its specific target antigen. The company said its drugs are designed to eliminate pathogenic antibodies, thus retaining healthy ingredients of the immune system. In Graves' disease, this approach is designed to avoid healthy thyroid signaling.
Merida drugs are biotherapeutic agents, which startups describe as “animal antibodies” in ways that move in the body. For example, these drugs can provide longer lasting effects, resulting in less frequency than other therapies. The Graves program is currently underway for preclinical research that could support the study of new drugs. Other disclosed Merida programs are preclinical development for primary membranous nephropathy, a chronic inflammatory kidney disease, as well as immunoglobulin E antibody-mediated food allergies.
“At the heart of Merida is to understand mechanisms like antibodies drive diseases at the molecular level and use these insights to develop much further precise therapies,” said Dario Gutierrez, co-founder and chief science officer of Merida in a prepared statement. “Our highly differentiated approach has the potential to produce first-class treatments by following the root causes of these devastating diseases.”
Merida’s launch is driven by other biotech companies including immunology, including startups, and is making progress with their own selective FC receptor-targeting drugs. Immunized personnel from Roivant Sciences' subsidiary are using IMVT-1402 and Batoclimab to present various immunological signs. Both drug candidates are monoclonal antibodies. The clinical program for IMVT-1402 includes a Phase 2/3 study in Graves. Batoclimab is currently in Graves' Phase 2 testing. Last September, Immunovant reported preliminary data that Batoclimab responded strongly and reduced levels of antibodies associated with the disease. The study is expected to release additional data this summer.
Zenas Biopharma is developing bifunctional antibodies for immunology and inflammation indications. The lead program obexelimab is intended to bind to CD19 and FC gamma receptor IIB, both targets expressed on B cells. Phase 3 testing was conducted for immunoglobulin G4-related diseases, supported by a US$225 million IPO in September last year. Meanwhile, startup Nuvig Therapeutics is developing proteins designed for FC receptors. Late last year, Nuvig raised $161 million to support the mid-term clinical development of its lead program, a potential treatment for rare autoimmune diseases.
Merida received seed financing from the Third Rock in 2022, when Gutierrez was the entrepreneur who resided in the company. The Series A financing announced Tuesday is led by Bain Capital Life Sciences, BVF Partners and Third Rock. Other investors in the new round are GV and perceptual Xontogeny venture fund. The startup is led by CEO Adam Townsend, who is recently the COO of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, which develops drugs targeting the supplemental system, which is part of the immune system.
Illustration: Sebastian Kaulitzki/Library of Science, by Getty Images
