Leal Therapeutics Inc. has raised $30 million in series A financing to advance its neuro-metabolic pipeline of therapeutics that aim to correct metabolic imbalances in the brain in patients with neuropsychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders.

Leal Therapeutics Inc. is taking advantage of new genetic data that suggest products from metabolic pathways are involved in psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases.

Aging is marked by a gradual decline in body function, partly driven by the buildup of senescent cells. These cells stop dividing but release a mix of inflammatory and tissue-remodeling factors, known as the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP).

With new and positive phase III data in treating agitation in patients – at home instead of in a clinic – with bipolar disorders or schizophrenia, Bioxcel Therapeutics Inc. is preparing to submit an sNDA in the first quarter of 2026 to expand the label of the company’s Igalmi (BXCL-501). These data also bring the company closer to having the first such treatment that is approved by the U.S. FDA for home use. The unmet need for patients is huge, Vimal Mehta, the CEO of Bioxcel, told the BioWorld Insider podcast. Watch the interview, below.

Rhovica Neuroimaging AG raised CHF 2.3 million (US$2.85 million) in a pre-seed financing round for Sonav, its bedside navigation system designed for extraventricular drainage. With its integrated sensors that provide real-time visualization to guide catheter insertion into brain ventricles, Sonav has the potential to transform emergency neurosurgery by improving safety and precision.

In another deal between the two companies that could be worth more than $1 billion, Abbvie Inc. is buying Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals Inc.’s lead candidate bretisilocin (GM-2505) for up to $1.2 billion, including an undisclosed up-front payment and development milestones. Privately held Gilgamesh has the psychedelic compound for treating moderate to severe major depressive disorder in a phase II study.

Individuals who develop antibodies against the GluN1 subunit of NMDA receptors can develop NMDA receptor encephalitis (NMDARE), which can lead to psychosis, cognitive deficits and movement disorders. Current treatments are not effective in all patients, and many patients relapse after treatment.

An investigation of the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of neuropathic pain in the UK Biobank has led to the discovery of a new pain gene and potential analgesic drug target in the peripheral nervous system. The gene, SLC45A4 (solute carrier 45A4), codes for a transporter that is involved in trafficking polyamines known to be involved in pain, across the cell membrane.