Locana Secures $55 Million Series A Financing to Advance RNA-Targeted Gene Therapy Research

VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) learned from foreign media that on May 22, U.S. local time, biotechnology company Locana completed a $55 million Series A financing round. The proceeds from this round will be used to advance the company’s research into RNA-targeted gene therapies and to develop novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for patients with genetic diseases.

It is reported that this round of financing was led by ARCH Venture Partners, with participation from Temasek, Lightstone Ventures, GV, and UCB Ventures. In addition, Locana has expanded its board of directors, with Tom Daniel, Managing Director at ARCH Venture Partners, and Cayce Denton from Temasek joining the board.

Locana, founded in 2016 and headquartered in California, USA, is a biotechnology company focused on gene therapy.

The company’s primary research focus is on RNA-targeted gene therapies, mainly for the treatment of hereditary genetic disorders. Hereditary genetic disorders refer to congenital genetic defects inherited through maternal or paternal lines, manifested as disruptions in gene structure, abnormal breaks in the gene chain, and aberrant gene expression.

Genes are the decisive factors controlling the normal functioning of the human body. Congenital genetic diseases have long remained an unsolved challenge in the medical industry. Existing treatments can only inhibit the production of abnormally translated proteins through medication, thereby mitigating the harm caused by harmful substances to the human body.

Locana, Inc.’s RNA-targeted gene therapy treats genetic disorders by intervening in the gene expression process. DNA directs the formation of RNA, which is then translated into proteins; harmful proteins can have adverse effects on the human body. By targeting specific RNA sequences to inhibit the translation of toxic proteins, this approach can effectively treat such diseases.

ARCH Venture Partners, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Illinois, USA, is a venture capital firm that primarily invests in startups across various stages of development in the healthcare and clean energy sectors. To date, it has invested in more than 120 companies and manages funds totaling $1.9 billion.

Temasek, established in 1974 and headquartered in Singapore, is a private equity investment firm. Temasek’s investments focus on four key themes: transforming economies, growing middle class, strengthening comparative advantages, and emerging champions. Lanting Investment is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek.

Lightstone Ventures, founded in 2012 and headquartered in California, USA, is a venture capital firm that primarily invests in the early-stage development of startups in the biotechnology, healthcare, and medical device industries. It has completed 30 investments to date.

Google Ventures (GV) is the investment arm of Google, established in March 2008. Leveraging its unique corporate advantages, Google aims to support innovative and promising new technology companies. Its primary investment areas include consumer internet, software, clean technology, biotechnology, and healthcare.

UCB Ventures, established in 2017 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is a strategic venture capital fund focused on investing in the early-stage development of the biotech innovation industry. It manages a €150 million strategic corporate venture fund.

(Compiled by Liu Yujing)