President & Fellows of Harvard College

Nilo Therapeutics plans to target so-called “master regulator” brain-body circuits by modulating various immune pathways in concert.\n 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.”

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jefferson River Capital today announced the launch of Jefferson Life Sciences, an early-stage life sciences investment firm investing at the frontier of human health. “Now more than ever, the biotech industry needs investors with a long-term view that can help turn bold scientific ideas into meaningful therapeutic solutions for patients in need,” said Dr. Laura Lande-Diner, Managing Partner at Jefferson Life Sciences. Jefferson Life Sciences is focused on therapeutic platforms that harness rigorous science and cutting-edge technologies, with clear line of sight to the clinic, a well-articulated development path, excellent leadership teams and multiple opportunities for success as demonstrated by the firm’s initial investments which include Character Biosciences and Juvena Therapeutics. Dr. Laura Lande-Diner, veteran biotech entrepreneur and former President and Chief Business Officer of Satellite Bio, has been named as Managing Partner. “Now more than ever, the biotech industry needs investors with a long-term view that can help turn bold scientific ideas into meaningful therapeutic solutions for patients in need,” said Lande-Diner. “At Jefferson Life Sciences, we know that rigorous science coupled with the inevitable advancements in technology across relevant industries have tremendous potential for benefiting the public good and generating significant financial returns. We are thrilled to bring our focus on future value and flexible investment structures to this industry during a time of deep need. We also hope this effort inspires others to follow suit.” Most recently Lande-Diner held the role of President and Chief Business Officer of Satellite Bio. Before Satellite, she was a founding team member at Valo Health, where she designed and led the company’s early data strategy and executed four foundational business development partnerships within 18 months of launch. Earlier in her career, she was part of the Origination team at Flagship Pioneering, where she contributed to the founding of four life sciences companies. In these roles, she helped shape early scientific strategy, develop IP estates, build leadership and advisory teams, and engage the investment community. She also served as a Founder Advisor at The Engine and currently is a mentor at the Faculty Founders MIT initiative. Lande-Diner earned her PhD in Epigenetics and Molecular Biology from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Medical School and conducted her postdoctoral research in Circadian Biology at Harvard Medical School, where she later served as an Instructor in Neurobiology. She is a named inventor on numerous patents and applications and has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications. “Having served as a scientist, entrepreneur, executive and now investor, Laura brings the vision and unique breadth and depth of skills to deliver on the ambitious goals of Jefferson Life Sciences by turning exciting promise into patient impact and financial value,” said Ham James, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Carica Sustainable Investments. Character Biosciences is a precision medicine company transforming drug development for progressive, polygenic diseases, beginning with ophthalmology. Juvena Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering tissue restorative biologics for chronic muscle and metabolic diseases. The company is unlocking the therapeutic potential of stem-cell secreted proteins through its fully integrated, end-to-end AI-enabled drug discovery and development platform, JuvNET. About Jefferson Life Sciences Jefferson Life Sciences, part of Jefferson River Capital, is an investment firm committed to advancing transformative innovations in medicine. The firm brings versatile investment structures and a long-term view to support companies across their full lifecycle—from early development through commercialization, in both private and public settings. By combining intelligent financing with deep operational expertise, we help turn bold scientific ideas into meaningful therapeutic solutions for patients in need.

iStock, libre de droit The $48 million award, granted through the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, will help Kernal take its in vivo mRNA-encoded CAR T therapy forward. Two months after axing 22 mRNA vaccine projects , the Department of Health and Human Services has put federal funding behind Kernal Bio’s mRNA-based CAR T-cell program for multiple sclerosis and B-cell malignancies. The funding, awarded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), will give the Boston biotech up to $48 million to support its lead immunology asset KR-402, an in vivo and mRNA-encoded CAR T therapy developed using Kernal’s “mRNA 2.0” platform, according to a Tuesday announcement. Kernal’s approach uses a targeted lipid nanoparticle vehicle to deliver mRNA payloads that can only be translated inside specific cells, achieving what the biotech claimed is “exceptional precision.” Kernal believes that KR-402’s in vivo functionality— the ability to reprogram T cells while inside the body—will set it apart. This mecanism minimizes the risk of genomic integration and removes the need for lymphodepletion, resulting in a more tolerable regimen overall, Kernal claimed. Aside from multiple sclerosis, Kernal is developing KR-402 for B cell cancers, such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia, large B cell lymphoma and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. As part of the ARPA-H grant, Kernal will also work with other sub-awardees—including the Stanford University School of Medicine, The Jackson Laboratory and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute—to develop other mRNA-encoded CAR therapies and come up with models and manufacturing strategies to test these treatments. “Current CAR T therapies heralded a true revolution in cancer treatment,” Kernal CEO Yusuf Erkul said in a statement. However, he noted that the modality continues to suffer from several “limitations,” such as the need for frequent dosing, tumor resistance and severe toxicities, such as cytokine release syndrome or secondary malignancies. Kernal has the capacity “to evolve the CAR T modality towards in vivo therapies,” he said. The Trump administration’s health leaders, particularly HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have had a conflicting relationship with mRNA technology. In August, Kennedy terminated some $500 million in funding for mRNA vaccine research under the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, claiming at the time that “the data show these vaccines fail to protect effectively against upper respiratory infections.” A few days later, however, Kennedy said that mRNA vaccines “may be very effective” for cancer, claiming that HHS will continue supporting mRNA projects in oncology. In an interview with Scripps News, Kennedy clarified that the mRNA pullout is only for upper respiratory diseases. Nevertheless, Kennedy’s antagonism towards mRNA could have far-reaching implications, according to Jonathan Kagan, Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. In an opinion piece that same month for BioSpace , Kagan argued that Kennedy’s “short-sighted moves” against mRNA vaccines “will derail some of the most promising medical advancements of our time.”