Latus Bio Raises $43M in Series A Extension Funding

The company plans to use the funds to expand its operations and generate initial clinical data for its two programs, including LTS-201 for Huntington’s disease and LTS-101 for CLN2 disease.

Latus Therapeutics focuses on expanding gene therapy to treat both rare and more common diseases that affect millions of people, using engineered AAV capsids and optimized delivery methods to improve efficiency at lower doses, making treatments more scalable. Beyond brain disorders, the company is also developing solutions for kidney, eye, heart, and muscle diseases through its integrated research platform.

LTS-201, developed by Latus Therapeutics, is an experimental gene therapy for Huntington’s disease that targets the MSH3 gene which plays a key role in disease progression. It is expected to move toward clinical testing in 2026, following strong early results showing effective delivery to key brain cells and the potential for long lasting benefit from a single dose.

The company’s LTS-101 program for CLN2 disease, a rare and serious brain disorder, has received multiple FDA designations to speed development and is expected to begin its first human trial in late 2026, with early safety and clinical results expected by the end of the year, which could also support future treatments for other related diseases.

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The company is led by an experienced team of biotech and pharmaceutical experts with strong knowledge in gene therapy and brain-related drug development, supported by a skilled board and scientific advisors, and Latus Therapeutics plans to form partnerships to expand its platform and develop new capsid technologies for additional diseases beyond its core focus.

“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, Said P. Peter Ghoroghchian, M.D., Ph.D, Chief Executive Officer of Latus Bio.

“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.”

About Latus Bio

Founded in 2022 with offices in Philadelphia, PA and Boston, MA, Latus Therapeutics is a biotech company focused on developing scalable gene therapies for serious brain and nervous system diseases, using new AAV capsid technology to improve precision, and effectiveness, and is supported by a team of scientists, clinicians and experienced industry leaders.

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