Latus Bio Announces $97 Million Series A Financing to Expand the Reach of Gene Therapy to Larger Populations

Financing extension led by 8VC to advance LTS-201 as a potential significant commercial opportunity in Huntington’s disease (IND expected in 3Q 2026)

Potential clinical proof-of-concept of Latus platform from LTS-101 in CLN2 disease expected in 4Q 2026; multiple fast follow-ons utilize the same capsid for larger indications

Proprietary engineered AAV capsids combined with optimal routes of clinical administration enable efficient delivery at the lowest doses in the industry, supporting potential improved safety, manufacturability, and scalability

PHILADELPHIA & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Latus Bio, Inc. (Latus), a biotechnology company engineering scalable gene therapies for broader patient populations, today announced the closing of a $97 million Series A financing to support its innovative therapeutics pipeline. 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 participated as new investors.

Proceeds from the financing are expected to fund operations through key milestones, including initial clinical data from the Company’s two most advanced programs. These include LTS-201 for Huntington’s disease and LTS-101 for late-infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) disease. Proceeds will also advance additional preclinical programs that utilize the company’s proprietary AAV discovery platform.

“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.”

“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.”

Latus is focused on scaling gene therapy to large-rare and non-rare diseases, which together affect millions of patients worldwide. The Company’s approach combines proprietary and engineered AAV capsids with optimal routes of clinical administration to enable highly efficient delivery at the lowest doses in the industry. Together, this is designed to support scalability, enabling broader applications of gene therapy beyond traditional ultra-rare disease settings. In addition to CNS disorders, the Company is advancing capsid variants with potential applications across kidney, eye, heart, and muscle diseases through its integrated discovery engine.

LTS-201, Latus’ first large-rare CNS disease program, is an investigational AAV gene therapy designed to knock-down MSH3, which drives the underlying process of somatic instability in Huntington’s disease. LTS-201 is on track for IND submission in 3Q 2026. Preclinical data have demonstrated unprecedented targeting of medium spiny neurons in the deep brain, supporting the potential for durable therapeutic benefit from a single administration.

LTS-101 for CLN2 disease, a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, has received IND clearance along with Orphan Drug Designation, Rare Pediatric Disease Designation, and Fast Track Designation from the FDA. Initiation of a first-in-human investigator-initiated trial is expected in the third quarter of 2026, and with initial safety, biomarker and clinical results expected by year-end. Data from this study are expected to inform follow-on programs for additional large-rare diseases and to enable expansion into broader patient populations.

The Company is led by an experienced team of biotech and pharmaceutical leaders with deep expertise in gene therapy and CNS drug development; it is supported by a seasoned Board of Directors and a distinguished Scientific Advisory Board. Latus plans to pursue strategic partnerships to further expand its platform for the discovery and development of novel capsid variants and to address non-core and non-CNS indications.

About Latus Bio

Latus is a biotechnology company dedicated to addressing devastating CNS and peripheral diseases via innovative and scalable gene therapies. The Company is advancing a broad therapeutics pipeline based on novel AAV capsid variants with potency and specificity. Latus is powered by a diverse team of visionary scientists, experienced clinicians, and leading industry executives. The Company has offices in Philadelphia, PA and in the Seaport in Boston, MA. For more information, visit www.latusbio.com.

About Huntington’s Disease

Huntington’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder affecting greater than 100,000 patients in major gene therapy markets. It results from a decades-long expansion of DNA repeats in the Huntingtin gene (HTT). Affected patients develop normally but subsequently experience progressive cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and motor changes that result from the accumulation of mutant HTT protein, which leads to the loss of medium spiny neurons in the deep brain (caudate and putamen) as well as projection neurons in the cerebral cortex. Currently, there are no approved disease-modifying therapies.

About LTS-201

LTS-201 (AAV.DB3.miMSH3) is an investigational AAV gene therapy candidate that encodes an engineered microRNA to reduce the expression of the DNA repair enzyme MSH3. Its design is based on AAV-DB3 - a novel and proprietary AAV capsid variant that targets medium spiny neurons and cortical projection neurons in the central nervous system after administration into the deep brain. A single low-dose injection of LTS-201 is intended to reduce MSH3 expression in these cells, to dramatically slow somatic repeat expansion in mutant HTT, and to slow or halt disease progression. LTS-201 is intended to provide durable benefit for patients affected by Huntington’s disease and has the potential for facile administration at any neurosurgical center.