Delivering siRNA therapies to the kidney could potentially enable treatments for metabolic diseases, hypertension, and chronic heart failure.
Genetic medicine startup Judo Bio has launched with $100 million in financing, combining its seed funding and a Series A round. The funding will be used to advance the development of oligonucleotide therapies for multiple systemic diseases, delivered via the kidney.
Cambridge, MA-based Judo is focused on using RNA-based therapeutics to treat both systemic and renal diseases, areas where delivery of such therapies has been challenging. The company’s platform enables targeted delivery of its small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapies to specific kidney cell types, offering a novel approach to gene silencing. The approach is believed to have potential in the treatment of conditions such as hypertension, chronic heart failure, and metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, as well as diseases of the kidney itself.
Judo’s initial focus is on developing therapies using “megalin receptors” to deliver siRNA therapeutics to the kidney. Megalin receptors are ideal targets due to their high expression and recycling capacity, making them effective entry points for the company’s therapeutics. Once inside the kidney cells, the drugs silence target genes by degrading mRNA, which in turn reduces the expression of key proteins that play a role in managing circulating solutes, including electrolytes, amino acids and metabolites, many of which are linked to systemic diseases.
According to Judo, the approach of delivering siRNA to the kidney addresses a long-standing issue in the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics. While siRNA therapies have been validated primarily for use in the liver, their use in other organs has been limited by difficulties in achieving targeted delivery. By leveraging kidney recycling receptors, Judo says it has demonstrated successful receptor-mediated delivery of oligonucleotides to the kidney in preclinical studies.
Led by CEO Dr Rajiv Patni, Judo’s exec team also includes Dr Alfica Sehgal, Chief Scientific Officer, an expert in RNA and siRNA therapeutics.
“With the Series A funding in hand, Judo can build on its solid foundation and nominate a series of development candidates, with efficient and timely proof-of-concept data readouts,” said Patni.
Judo Bio was founded and incubated by Atlas Venture, with additional backing from The Column Group, Droia Ventures, Digitalis Ventures, and other investors.
“In a short period, the company has developed a novel platform, demonstrated potent and selective gene knockdown in specific kidney regions, and constructed a pipeline of compelling programs that we are excited to see advanced towards the clinic,” said Atlas Venture’s Kevin Bitterman.
