Korsana Biosciences, a Waltham, Massachusetts-based biotechnology company focused on neurodegenerative diseases, issued a press release announcing it has emerged from stealth with USD 175 million in total financing to advance a pipeline of brain-penetrant biologics, initially centered on Alzheimer’s disease. The company said it was founded in 2024 with a USD 25 million seed investment and later closed a USD 150 million private Series A, bringing total capital raised to USD 175 million.
The private Series A was co-led by Wellington Management and TCGX, with participation from J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, Janus Henderson Investors, Sanofi Ventures, Foresite Capital, and other investors, the company said. Korsana said the funding will be used to develop therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, beginning with Alzheimer’s, and that it is capitalized through key clinical milestones expected in 2027, with runway into 2028.
The company appointed Jonathan Violin, Ph.D. as president and CEO. Violin was a venture partner at Fairmount since 2023 and previously served as founding CEO of Viridian Therapeutics, and as founding CEO of Dianthus Therapeutics and Quellis Biosciences (which merged into Astria Therapeutics). Korsana is the seventh company launched based on assets discovered by Paragon.
The science behind Korsana’s TfR1approach
Korsana’s lead program, KRSA-028, is an investigational “shuttled” monoclonal antibody targeting amyloid beta for Alzheimer’s disease that was discovered in partnership with Paragon Therapeutics. The candidate uses Korsana’s proprietary THETA platform, a transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1)-based approach with Fc engineering designed to improve brain delivery and support subcutaneous administration.
A “shuttled mAb” refers to an antibody engineered to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) via receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT), typically by binding a transport receptor expressed on brain endothelial cells such as transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1/CD71). TfR1 undergoes constitutive endocytosis and trafficking across the BBB, enabling properly engineered binders to increase central nervous system (CNS) exposure of otherwise impermeable large molecules.
Korsana describes KRSA-028 as an anti-3pE (pyroglutamate) amyloid beta monoclonal antibody enabled by its THETA platform, which combines TfR1 targeting with Fc engineering to enhance brain delivery and support subcutaneous (SC) dosing. The company is aiming to develop an amyloid beta–directed therapy with a lower risk of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) than currently approved agents, Eli Lilly’s Kisunla (donanemab) and Eisai and Biogen’s Leqembi (lecanemab). ARIA is believed to reflect a combination of vascular amyloid burden, antibody epitope selection, Fc-mediated effector function, and systemic exposure. A TfR1-based shuttle may allow lower circulating drug concentrations to achieve therapeutic brain exposure, potentially altering tissue distribution and reducing ARIA incidence in clinical settings.
Competitive context
The closest comparators are anti-amyloid antibodies incorporating BBB transport modules, particularly TfR1-based — and more recently CD98hc-based — shuttling systems. Developers with publicly disclosed programs include Denali Therapeutics, which has advanced multiple TfR1-targeted BBB transport vehicles (ATV/TV); Roche/Genentech, whose “Brain Shuttle” platform has demonstrated receptor-mediated transport and CNS pharmacology in preclinical models; and Ossianix, which is developing TfR1-binding VNAR-based shuttle constructs such as TXB2 variants. Academic groups, including teams at Uppsala University, have also reported improved CNS uptake using monovalent TfR-binding designs in anti-amyloid constructs.