Aerska raises $39M to advance brain‑shuttle AOC for systemic CNS RNAi; Avidity Biosciences watches

Aerska’s brain-shuttle advance aims to unlock systemic RNAi for the brain

Aerska raises $39 million in a Series A round led by EQT Life Sciences’ LSP Dementia Fund and age1 to propel its antibody‑oligonucleotide conjugate (AOC) platform and proprietary “brain shuttle” into clinical development. The financing, which brings Aerska’s total funding to about $60 million since its seed round in October 2025, is earmarked to optimize systemic (intravenous or subcutaneous) delivery of RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics across the blood–brain barrier for genetically driven forms of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Company leadership frames the money as necessary to take the AOC program from preclinical validation toward IND‑enabling studies and early human trials.

Aerska’s platform links targeting antibodies to oligonucleotide payloads to combine cell‑type targeting with RNAi‑based gene silencing, and its brain shuttle is designed to ferry those conjugates into deep brain regions previously inaccessible to systemically dosed oligonucleotides. The company says this approach enables uniform, durable knockdown of disease‑causing genes after a single IV or SC administration, which could simplify dosing, expand patient access and meet regulatory expectations for safety and durability. Aerska’s CEO says systemic delivery to the brain creates a pathway to upstream, disease‑modifying intervention, while fund partners highlight potential to preserve cognitive function and quality of life for affected families.

The financing also signals broader momentum in the AOC field to solve a longstanding delivery bottleneck for central nervous system RNA medicines. If Aerska’s shuttle achieves reliable brain distribution and durable target engagement in humans, it may materially broaden the therapeutic reach of oligonucleotide modalities beyond peripheral tissues and spinal administration, and could attract pharma partnerships seeking differentiated CNS delivery solutions. Investors and academic neurologists see the program as addressing an unmet need in neuroscience drug development where delivery, not target biology, often limits progress.

Avidity Biosciences and other AOC developers are likely to watch Aerska’s progress closely. Avidity, which develops antibody‑oligonucleotide conjugates for neuromuscular diseases, operates in the same technical space and could face new collaboration or competitive dynamics should systemic CNS AOC delivery prove clinically viable.

EQT’s participation underscores investor appetite for high‑impact platforms that marry antibody targeting with oligonucleotide therapeutics. Aerska’s next milestones include advancing preclinical safety, demonstrating deep brain distribution and initiating regulatory filings to enable first‑in‑human studies.