Loqus23 Therapeutics secures £15m funding for neurodegenerative disease research

Small molecule somatic expansion inhibitors developer Loqus23 Therapeutics has secured an estimated £15m in capital. Based in Great Abington, the biotechnology firm targets DNA instability to slow neurodegeneration in patients with Huntington’s Disease and other triplet repeat expansion disorders.

The company was founded in 2019 by Dr David Reynolds, Dr Caroline Benn, and Dr Ruth McKernan CBE. Financial records for the year ending 31 March 2025 show a £5.6m loss, with seven staff members listed in the accounts, though recent data suggests the headcount has since reached 15 employees.

Loqus23’s lead product candidate, LQT-23, is an oral allosteric MSH3/MutSβ inhibitor designed to halt the progression of complex brain diseases. This approach aims to provide more convenient administration than other advanced treatment modalities. Clinical trials for the lead programme are scheduled to begin in 2026.

This Series A injection follows a £20m tranche in September 2024, contributing to a total round previously reported as £35m. Forbion led the financing alongside existing shareholders Novartis Venture Fund and the Dementia Discovery Fund, where the founders were originally Entrepreneurs in Residence. The latter also provided initial seed capital, followed by a £3.3m round in July 2023, a £2m round in February 2023, and a £9.5m injection in November 2021 (allotment date May 2026).