Seattle startup with fresh approach to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease raises $96M

Cajal Neuroscience, a Seattle-based startup, announced a $96 million funding round and released details on its strategy for developing treatments for neurodivergent diseases.
The company is taking a unique approach to treating Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s — an area that biopharma companies have poured billions of dollars into over decades without success.
Cajal Neuroscience is systematically collecting data to pinpoint genes involved in neurodegeneration. The genes are interrogated on how they affect the biology of the disease using cell-based screens and animal models, such as sequencing active genes in cells and imaging techniques.
“There are numerous potential unexplored drug targets for neurodegenerative diseases,” said Cajal CEO Ignacio Muñoz-Sanjuán. “By exploring a large range of potential drug targets, “the field is going back to the basics in some ways.”