With a platform designed to preserve mitochondrial health in neurons, biotech targets clinical trials in Parkinson’s and ALS.
British biotech NRG Therapeutics has closed a $67 million Series B financing to advance its pipeline of mitochondrial-targeting therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. The Stevenage-based company is focused on developing disease-modifying drugs for conditions including Parkinson’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Mitochondria are tiny organisms crucial for energy production in our cells, and their dysfunction is a recognized hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. NRG’s discovery platform is centered on small molecule inhibitors of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore, a regulator of mitochondrial function implicated in inflammation, energy failure and neuronal death. By targeting this mechanism, the company aims to preserve mitochondrial health in neurons that are highly vulnerable in both Parkinson’s and ALS.
According to NRG, its lead candidate NRG5051 has demonstrated neuroprotection and reduced neuroinflammation in preclinical studies and has completed investigational new drug–enabling work. The therapy is expected to enter first-in-human studies in early 2026, with the new financing supporting its advancement through clinical proof-of-concept in ALS. A Phase 1b study in Parkinson’s patients is also planned to generate early clinical data.
NRG’s scientific approach builds on evidence that toxic proteins such as α-synuclein in Parkinson’s and TDP-43 in ALS drive mitochondrial dysfunction, accelerating neuronal degeneration. The company has identified a novel regulator of the pore that can be targeted by brain-penetrant oral molecules, offering a pathway to therapies capable of slowing disease progression rather than only providing symptomatic relief.
Parkinson’s is among the fastest rising neurological conditions worldwide, with prevalence expected to double by 2050, while ALS remains a rapidly progressing disease with few treatment options. The approval of Qalsody in 2023 marked the first disease-modifying therapy for a rare genetic form of ALS, but the majority of patients with sporadic disease remain underserved.
“Developing new drugs to treat neurological diseases is very challenging but is receiving increased interest given the high unmet medical need and growing prevalence in aging populations,” said NRG Therapeutics’ co-founder and CEO Neil Miller. “These new funds provide the runway to advance our lead programme through PoC in ALS/MND, and to develop our portfolio of small molecule candidate drugs for other indications including Parkinson’s.”
The oversubscribed round was led by SV Health Investors’ Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF), joined by British Business Bank, M Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund, and Criteria Bio Ventures, alongside existing backers Omega Funds and Brandon Capital. Parkinson’s UK, through its Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech initiative, remains an active investor.
“The strength and breadth of NRG’s pre-clinical data gives us real confidence that NRG’s approach could halt or significantly slow disease progression across multiple neurodegenerative diseases,” said SV’s Laurence Barker, who leads DDF.
“Not only has NRG developed an impressive pre-clinical data package and completed IND-enabling studies with its lead asset, but it has also advanced further its understanding of the biology of mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases and the mode of action of its novel target that prevents opening of the mPTP channel,” said Omega’s Francesco Draetta.
