Nilo Therapeutics has launched with $101 million in series A funds to drive its ambition to harness neural circuits to restore immune homeostasis.
The New York-headquartered company was founded by a trio of respected academics in Columbia University’s Charles Zuker, Ph.D., Yale School of Medicine’s Ruslan Medzhitov, Ph.D., and Harvard Medical School’s Steve Liberles, Ph.D. One of the foundation stones in Nilo’s approach is the work at Zucker’s lab to identify specific vagal neurons that regulate systemic immune activation and inflammation.
This research has already shone a light on how the body-brain axis can not only control organ function and metabolic rate but also the regulation of immune responses.
The idea now is to target so-called “master regulator” brain-body circuits by modulating various immune pathways together. By doing this, Nilo aims to bolster the potential of this therapeutic approach to treat a range of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, according to an Oct. 8 release.
The nine-figure financing round was led by The Column Group, DCVC Bio and Lux Capital, with contributions from the Gates Foundation and Alexandria Venture Investments. The series A cash has been earmarked to help establish Nilo’s laboratories in New York plus expand the fledgling company’s R&D team and advance its preclinical programs.
Heading up Nilo from today is CEO Kim Seth, Ph.D., who previously served as chief business officer at precision oncology biotech Repare Therapeutics. Seth will work alongside Nilo Chief Scientific Officer Laurens Kruidenier, Ph.D., who has previously held CSO roles at Cellarity and Merck & Co.-acquired Prometheus Biosciences.
“Nilo is at a transformative moment,” Kruidenier said in this morning’s release. “Kim’s leadership and experience will accelerate our mission to translate breakthrough neuro-immunology into medicines that could benefit patients across a broad range of immune-driven diseases.”