Teitur Trophics ApS, a spinout from Aarhus University seeded by the Bioinnovation Institute in 2020, has completed a €28 million (US$30.1 million) series A financing. Teitur has developed a platform of first-in-class cyclic peptides with a novel mechanism that preserves neuronal function, and these peptides have the potential to treat a broad range of neurodegenerative diseases.

PTC Therapeutics Inc. has synthesized heteroaryl compounds acting as huntingtin (HTT) (mutant) expression inhibitors reported to be useful for the treatment of Huntington's disease.

Upcoming catalysts from Annexon Biosciences Inc. put some joy into shares as the firm talked up its prospects during the recent J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, where attendees heard Jan. 8 about the news ahead with C1q protein complex inhibitor ANX-005 in Huntington’s disease (HD) as well as progress in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), and more. The stock (NASDAQ:ANNX) enjoyed a 43% stock boost in the days after JPM, rising from $4.79 on Jan 8 to $6.84 on Jan. 13.

As Novartis AG works to streamline the company and finalized a long-considered plan to separate its Sandoz Inc. business by creating a standalone company, it temporarily stopped dosing in a study of branaplam for treating Huntington’s disease. Several findings from the phase IIb study suggested the presence of peripheral neuropathy in some participants. An independent data monitoring committee recommended the dosing halt but fell short of recommending the study be terminated. The VIBRANT-HD steering committee agreed with the committee’s recommendation.