Atalanta

Treating neurological diseases is one of the most challenging existing medical problems we face today. Although gene silencing techniques such as RNAi or ASOs hold great promise, limited distribution throughout the entire brain, even with local injection, has significantly hampered their therapeutic potential. Atalanta Therapeutics founding scientists Anastasia Khvorova, Ph.D., Nobel laureate Craig Mello, Ph.D., and Neil Aronin, M.D., from UMass Medical School’s RNA Therapeutics Institute, made a major breakthrough by identifying a novel RNAi structure called branched siRNA that enables broad distribution throughout the brain, including deep brain structures. Building on this initial discovery, scientists at Atalanta are developing a robust pipeline of RNAi therapeutics to address CNS diseases such as Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

At F-Prime, we immediately recognized the power of this novel technology and, in collaboration with the founding scientists who helped to spin the technology out into a newco. We quickly recruited Alicia Secor as the CEO and first employee who has, in turn, assembled a world-class management team of veteran biotech experts from the ground up.

Following a Series A funding round, led exclusively by F-Prime, and fueled by strategic collaborations with Biogen and Genentech, Atalanta launched in 2021 with $110 million. F-Prime believes the company is positioned for success through our collaborative effort and aligned mission.

Our involvement with innovative companies like Atalanta strengthens our confidence that new treatment options for patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases will one day be available and broadly accessible.