Brenig Therapeutics Secures $65 Million Series A for Parkinson's Research

Brenig Therapeutics Inc., a neurology-focused drug development company, has successfully closed a $65 million Series A funding round. The financing was led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with significant contributions from both new and existing investors, including OrbiMed, Torrey Pines Investments, and BioGeneration Ventures. This substantial investment will propel Brenig's leading pre-clinical development candidate, BT-267, a leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) inhibitor, into human clinical trials.

Brenig, headquartered in Dover, Delaware, is known for its innovative approach to drug discovery, leveraging an artificial intelligence and machine learning-based platform. The recent funds will be instrumental in advancing BT-267, which has shown promise as a best-in-class treatment for both idiopathic and LRRK2-mutated Parkinson's disease.

Ed Mathers, a partner at NEA, will be joining Brenig’s Board of Directors as part of this financing agreement. Mathers expressed optimism about Brenig’s potential, stating, "The Brenig team has made remarkable progress since inception. We believe their approach could lead to best-in-class therapeutics for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. NEA is thrilled to partner with Brenig through its next phase of growth."

Chairman of Brenig, Iain Dukes, highlighted the importance of this funding in their mission to address the needs of Parkinson's disease patients with their differentiated drugs. The company plans to use the proceeds to advance BT-267 through healthy volunteer studies and into proof-of-concept studies with patients suffering from idiopathic Parkinson's disease. Additionally, Brenig will explore other potential best-in-class treatments for Parkinson's disease to expand its neurology-focused pipeline.

BT-267 is a small molecule LRRK2 inhibitor designed to offer high brain exposure with minimal peripheral exposure, ensuring superior efficacy while reducing the risk of on-target, off-tissue toxicity. The molecule has shown excellent selectivity, avoiding off-target effects, and has demonstrated a clean safety profile in ongoing GLP studies.

Brenig's strategic use of AI and ML, in collaboration with Expert Systems Inc., has been a cornerstone of its drug development process. This partnership has led to multiple best-in-class clinical candidates across various therapeutic areas, underscoring Brenig's capability to innovate within the pharmaceutical industry.

Founded in 1977, NEA is a global venture capital firm with over $25 billion in assets under management as of December 2023. NEA has a long history of supporting transformational businesses across various sectors and stages of development, from seed stage to IPO. The firm has been involved in more than 270 IPOs and over 450 mergers and acquisitions, showcasing its significant impact on the industry.

With the new funding and strategic support from NEA and other investors, Brenig is well-positioned to advance its groundbreaking work in treating Parkinson's disease, offering hope for patients and aiming to set new standards in neurology-focused therapeutics.