Perth, Australia — Black Swan Biotech (BSB) secures investment from FundWA to advance their portfolio of antisense oligonucleotide (ASOs) therapies for the treatment of motor neurone disease (MND) with a focus on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
BSB is a Perth-based biotechnology company with strong links to Western Australia’s Perron Institute and Murdoch University and is focused on the development of next-generation antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapies, today announced it has secured investment from FundWA, a leading life sciences venture capital firm.
The financing will support the advancement of BSB’s proprietary ASO platform and accelerate the development of its lead programmes targeting motor neurone disease (MND), a devastating and currently incurable neurodegenerative condition that progressively affects motor neurons and leads to muscle weakness, paralysis, and premature death.
The investment will be used to expand research and development activities, progress preclinical and translational studies, and prepare the company’s lead therapeutic candidates for entry into clinical development.
“Our mission is to deliver transformative therapies for patients living with motor neurone disease,” said Dr. Masha Strømme, Chief Executive Officer of BSB. “This investment from FundWA is a strong endorsement of our scientific approach and our team’s ability to translate cutting-edge antisense oligonucleotide technology into potential new treatments for patients with urgent unmet medical needs.”
BSB is developing precision antisense oligonucleotide therapies designed to selectively modulate disease-relevant RNA targets implicated in the underlying biology of motor neurone disease. By addressing the genetic and molecular drivers of disease, the company aims to create highly targeted treatments with the potential to slow or halt disease progression.
“BSB represents an exciting opportunity to apply antisense technology to one of the most challenging areas in neurology,” said Dr. Michael Nguyen at FundWA. “The company’s platform, scientific depth and focus on motor neurone disease align strongly with our strategy to back innovative companies developing first-in-class or best-in-class therapies for patients with serious and underserved conditions. We are delighted to support the team as they move toward the clinic.”
BSB is an Australian biotechnology company focused on developing precision antisense oligonucleotide therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, with an initial focus on Motor Neurone Disease (MND), including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
The company is developing a pipeline of genetically targeted, RNA-directed medicines designed to address underlying molecular mechanisms implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. BSB was spun out of the Perron Institute and Murdoch University and is headquartered in Perth, Western Australia.
FundWA is a venture capital firm focused on investing in innovative life sciences and biotechnology companies. The firm supports entrepreneurs building breakthrough medicines and technologies that address significant unmet medical needs.
Julian Arbuckle (CBO)
julian.arbuckle@blackswanbio.com
Trent Rachow (Associate)
trent.rachow@fundwa.com.au
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