AI startup Superluminal raises $60M for rare

AI drug discovery startup Superluminal Medicines has secured an additional $60 million in funding to propel its lead candidate for rare forms of obesity into clinical trials. The company plans to begin human testing of its oral MC4R-targeting therapy by the end of this year, according to a Thursday announcement.

Superluminal specializes in designing drugs that activate G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Its initial program focuses on the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R), a protein that regulates appetite and energy expenditure. The new Series B financing round was led by BVF Partners and included investors RA Capital Management, Nvidia, and Eli Lilly. To date, the company has raised $213 million in venture capital.

Competitive landscape for MC4R therapies

The startup is entering a competitive field. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals has already commercialized an MC4R-activating injectable drug called Imcivree for certain rare genetic obesities. That drug has also shown potential in Prader-Willi syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by an insatiable hunger known as hyperphagia. Another treatment for Prader-Willi-associated hyperphagia, Vykat XR, is marketed by Neurocrine Biosciences following its development by Soleno Therapeutics.

Other experimental drugs have faced challenges. An investigational treatment from Aardvark Therapeutics is currently on hold, and a drug candidate from Acadia Pharmaceuticals failed to meet its study goals.

Superluminal's clinical development strategy

Superluminal aims to first test its therapy in patients with Bardet-Biedl syndrome and hypothalamic obesity. The company's broader ambition includes potentially expanding into Prader-Willi syndrome and general obesity. In the latter, large market, its treatment could be tested alongside popular GLP-1 drugs.

CEO Cony D’Cruz argues the company's candidate could have a safety advantage. He stated the drug is designed to affect only certain cellular signaling pathways linked to MC4R. It is also formulated as a daily oral pill, unlike the injectable medications Vykat and Imcivree.

D’Cruz acknowledged competitors have provided valuable lessons. "More broadly, these experiences reinforce our view that efficacy alone is not enough," he wrote. He added that a successful therapy must combine meaningful effects on weight and hyperphagia with a safety profile suitable for long-term use.

Strategic partnerships and investor confidence

The financing round blended biotech and technology investors, including chipmaker Nvidia and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly. Superluminal has also established a partnership with Eli Lilly to discover new small-molecule drugs for cardiometabolic diseases and obesity.

Nandita Shangari, a managing director at investor RA Capital, expressed confidence in the company's direction. In a statement, she said bringing together leading healthcare investors with strategic and technology partners reflects growing belief in Superluminal's platform and its team's ability to create clinical programs.

The company now has the capital to transition its lead candidate from preclinical research to the clinic, setting the stage for its first human data in rare obesity disorders.