US-based life sciences company Iron Horse Therapeutics was launched yesterday by pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and venture capital firm Avalon Ventures with up to $10m in series A funding.
Iron Horse will focus on therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease characterised by muscle wasting which eventually leads to difficulty speaking, swallowing and breathing.
Iron Horse is the seventh company launched under GSK’s and Avalon’s collaboration agreement that they signed in 2013. GSK has the option to acquire startups once a clinical candidate has been created.
The startups benefit from operational support, access to a research and development facility and mentoring from industry experts through Avalon’s community of innovation initiative, Coi Pharmaceuticals.
The six startups previously launched by the two partners are life sciences companies Sitari Pharma, Silarus Therapeutics, Thyritope Biosciences, Adrenergics, Cadherx Therapeutics and Calporta Therapeutics.