Atalanta Therapeutics

Atalanta Therapeutics is a biotechnology company pioneering treatment options for neurodegenerative diseases through its proprietary branched siRNA platform. Founded in 2018, the company is developing therapies targeting the central nervous system (CNS), including for Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

Atalanta's core technology, branched siRNA, is a novel oligonucleotide architecture that has demonstrated potent ability to silence gene expression in the CNS across multiple neurodegenerative diseases. preclinical research published in Nature Biotechnology in April 2019 showed that branched siRNA can achieve unparalleled distribution in the CNS, including deep brain structures, and prolonged duration of effect up to six months without the need for conjugation.

The company's approach involves delivering the branched siRNA molecules as naked, unconjugated compounds, which offers a key differentiator from other RNAi modalities. Atalanta's initial focus areas encompass Huntington's, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases, with ongoing research exploring applications in other CNS disorders.

In January 2021, Atalanta emerged from stealth with USD 110 million in Series A funding led by F-Prime Capital and strategic collaborations with Biogen and Genentech. As part of these partnerships, the company is eligible to receive development and milestone payments, as well as royalties on any resulting products targeting CNS diseases.

Key customers and partnerships

Atalanta Therapeutics has entered into strategic collaborations with Biogen and Genentech to develop RNAi therapeutics targeting multiple CNS diseases.

Under the Biogen partnership established in January 2021, Atalanta is developing RNAi therapeutics for targets including HTT for Huntington's disease treatment, along with other CNS targets.

The collaboration with Genentech, also formed in January 2021, focuses on developing RNAi therapeutics for CNS targets in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.