BRIEF—New gene therapy startup launches in Boston, USA

A new non-viral gene therapy company, Intergalactic Therapeutics, has been launched with a $75 million series A financing round from venture capital firm ATP.

The Boston-based company is working on two novel technologies, a covalently closed and circular DNA called C3DNA, and a novel gene therapy delivery platform called COMET.

Intergalactic is developing non-viral gene therapies in ophthalmology, oncology, and respiratory diseases, and sees potential in cardiology, hepatology, CNS and musculoskeletal disorders.

Chief executive Michael Ehlers said: “Because viral-based gene therapies have technical and clinical limitations, we at ATP created Intergalactic to expand the universe of what is possible in gene therapy.”