Vigil Neuroscience, a US-based biotechnology therapeutics developer backed by biopharmaceutical firm Amgen, has wrapped up a $90m series B round led by venture capital firm Vida Ventures.
Surveyor Capital, Orbimed, Cormorant Asset Management, Invus, Rock Springs Capital, Deep Track Capital, Atlas Venture, Northpond Venture, Hatteras Ventures, Pivotal BioVentures and Lightstone Ventures filled out the round.
Vigil Neuroscience seeks to use microglia – the principal active immune cells in the central nervous system – to treat neurodegenerative diseases.
The funding will support Vigil Neuroscience’s upcoming phase 1 studies for a line of monoclonal antibodies, VGL101, to treat adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia (ALSP), a progressive disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord.
The company carried out a $50m series A in December 2020 co-led by Atlas Venture and Northpond Ventures, with additional participation from Hatteras and the VC arm of real estate investment trust Alexandra Real Estate Equities, Alexandria Venture Investments.
Amgen is a shareholder through a licensing agreement with Vigil Neuroscience.
Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch, chief executive of Vigil, said: “ALSP is a devastating disease that has a strong genetic link to microglia dysfunction and signalling deficiency. We plan to work closely with patients and their families to unravel the complexities of the disease and rapidly advance VGL101 through the clinic.”
“This financing will enable us to accelerate both our lead TREM2 activating monoclonal antibody in patients as well as advance our small molecule programme through important milestones.”
