Lario Therapeutics has secured $2.4 million in funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and Wellcome to accelerate development of its neuronal calcium channel platform.
Lario Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company developing first-in-class precision medicines for epileptic and neurological disorders, has secured $2.4 million in grant funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and Wellcome to expand its neuronal calcium channel drug discovery platform.
The funding package comprises a $1.5 million award from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and a further $900,000 from Wellcome. The awards are intended to accelerate Lario’s research into selective small-molecule inhibitors of voltage-gated neuronal calcium channels, an area of growing interest in neurological and psychiatric disease.
“Lario was founded to translate strong human genetics and neuronal biology into precision medicines for patients with severe neurological disease,” said Henning Steinhagen, Chief Executive Officer of Lario Therapeutics. “We are grateful for the continued support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the funding from Wellcome which support us to advance these unique programmes towards the clinic, taking us one step closer to providing meaningful treatments for patients with high unmet need.”
The company said the backing of two globally respected research organisations provides significant validation of its scientific approach. With the proceeds, Lario will expand its work in Parkinson’s disease and explore an additional high-priority indication, post-traumatic stress disorder.
Focus on Parkinson’s disease targets
The $1.5 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation will support the progression of Lario’s research into CaV1.3-linked Parkinson’s disease biology. CaV1.3 is regarded as a target with strong mechanistic relevance to disease progression and has recently been highlighted by the foundation as one of the most promising drug targets.
The $1.5 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation will support the progression of Lario’s research into CaV1.3-linked Parkinson’s disease biology.
In parallel, the $900,000 grant from Wellcome will fund further validation of CaV2.3 as a target in post-traumatic stress disorder. The work builds on large-scale human genetics research linking variation in the CACNA1E gene, which encodes CaV2.3, to an increased risk of the condition.
“These awards recognise the growing body of evidence linking neuronal calcium channel dysfunction to the core biology of neurological and psychiatric diseases,” said Tom Otis, Chief Scientific Officer of Lario Therapeutics. “By combining selective small-molecule chemistry with rigorous target biology, we are building a unique platform designed to deliver precision therapies for patients suffering from epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
The latest Wellcome award also complements Lario’s previously announced $6 million grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2024. That funding supports preclinical work on CaV2.3 as a potential disease-modifying approach for Parkinson’s disease and exploration of the therapeutic potential of selective CaV2.3 inhibition across a range of central nervous system disorders.
Next steps and industry presence
Alongside the newly funded expansion into Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder, Lario is continuing development of its lead CaV2.3 programme for severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies. The company plans to initiate IND-enabling studies in 2026, followed by an IND filing and subsequent first-in-human clinical trials.
