LoQus23 Therapeutics

LoQus23 Therapeutics is a UK-based biotechnology company developing small molecule somatic expansion inhibitors to treat Huntington's Disease and other triplet repeat expansion (TRE) diseases. The company's primary focus is on creating orally administered drugs that can stop DNA instability, thereby slowing the neurodegeneration characteristic of these disorders. Its lead program is a potent, allosteric small molecule MSH3 inhibitor, part of the MutSβ complex, which is expected to enter clinical trials in 2026.

The company was founded in 2019 by Dr. David Reynolds, Dr. Caroline Benn, and Dr. Ruth McKernan, who were Entrepreneurs in Residence at SV Health Investors’ Dementia Discovery Fund (DDF). Dr. Reynolds, the CEO, has a Ph.D. on models of Huntington's Disease and nearly two decades of experience in pharmaceutical R&D at companies like Pfizer and Merck. CSO Dr. Benn spent 12 years as an academic researcher at King's College London and Harvard Medical School, focusing on the molecular mechanisms of Huntington's disease, before moving into drug discovery at Pfizer and Astex Pharmaceuticals. Dr. McKernan is an operating partner at SV Health Investors with over 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry at Merck and Pfizer and has co-founded several biotech companies.

LoQus23's business model is centered on the research and development of proprietary drug candidates. The company targets the DNA Mismatch Repair (MMR) system, specifically the MutSβ protein, which is a key driver of the somatic expansion that causes and drives Huntington's Disease. By designing small molecules to inhibit this process, LoQus23 aims to offer a disease-modifying therapy. The firm operates in the biotechnology market, focusing on neurodegenerative diseases, a segment with high unmet medical needs, as there are currently no treatments to modify the course of Huntington's disease.

Initially seeded by the DDF in 2019, LoQus23 secured additional seed funding from the Novartis Venture Fund (NVF) in 2021. In October 2024, the company announced a £35 million (approximately $43 million) Series A financing round. The round was led by Forbion, with continued participation from existing investors DDF and NVF, to advance its lead program into clinical development.

Keywords: Huntington's Disease, triplet repeat expansion diseases, small molecule inhibitors, neurodegeneration, DNA mismatch repair, MSH3 inhibitor, MutSβ, allosteric inhibitors, somatic expansion, oral therapeutics, biotechnology, genetic diseases, drug discovery, clinical trials, Dementia Discovery Fund, Forbion, Novartis Venture Fund, neurotherapeutics, rare diseases, genetic medicine