Lario Therapeutics awarded $2.4M by The Michael J. Fox Foundation and Wellcome to expand neuronal calcium channel platform across CNS disorders

Lario Therapeutics (“Lario”), a biopharmaceutical company developing precision medicines for epileptic and neurological disorders, has received $2.4 million in grant funding from The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) and Wellcome to support the expansion of its neuronal calcium channel drug discovery platform.

The funding will support Lario’s work on selective small-molecule inhibitors of voltage-gated neuronal calcium channels, targeting Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The $1.5 million grant from MJFF focuses on CaV1.3-linked Parkinson’s disease biology, a target highlighted by MJFF’s Targets to Therapies initiative as highly relevant for disease progression.

The $900k (£700k) grant from Wellcome will help validate CaV2.3 as a target in PTSD, building on recent human genetics research linking variations in CACNA1E to increased PTSD risk.

Henning Steinhagen, chief executive officer of Lario Therapeutics, said: “Lario was founded to translate strong human genetics and neuronal biology into precision medicines for patients with severe neurological disease. We are grateful for the continued support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the funding from Wellcome which support us to advance these unique programmes towards the clinic, taking us one step closer to providing meaningful treatments for patients with high unmet need.”

The awards complement a $6 million grant from MJFF in 2024, which supports preclinical work on CaV2.3 for Parkinson’s disease and explores selective CaV2.3 inhibition across central nervous system disorders.

Tom Otis, chief scientific officer of Lario Therapeutics, added: “These awards recognise the growing body of evidence linking neuronal calcium channel dysfunction to the core biology of neurological and psychiatric diseases. By combining selective small-molecule chemistry with rigorous target biology, we are building a unique platform designed to deliver precision therapies for patients suffering from epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.”

In addition to grant-supported expansion, Lario is progressing its leading CaV2.3 programme for severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs), with IND-enabling studies planned for 2026, followed by an IND filing and first-in-human clinical trials. Lario’s leadership team will also participate in key international conferences in early 2026, including Bio-Neuroscience in Amsterdam, Sachs’ Annual European Life Sciences CEO Forum in Zurich, and BIO-Europe Spring in Lisbon.