Key Takeaways
- Moonwalk Biosciences secured $70 million in a Series B funding round to advance obesity treatments.
- Lead candidate MW101 utilizes gene silencing to target adipose tissue, differing from traditional obesity drugs.
- Funding will support human clinical studies and expansion of its pipeline of RNA-based therapies.
Funding Announcement
Moonwalk Biosciences, a biotechnology firm located in San Francisco and San Diego, has successfully completed a $70 million Series B funding round, attracting over-subscribed investments co-led by New York’s Alpha Wave and YK Bioventures from the Bay Area. Additional investors include Eli Lilly and Co., Gaorong Ventures, and returning backers like ARCH Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, and Future Ventures.
The funds raised will be allocated towards advancing Moonwalk’s leading obesity candidate, MW101, through first-in-human clinical trials set to begin in late 2027. The financing will also support the expansion of the company’s pipeline of tissue-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) medicines and further develop its proprietary drug discovery platform.
Innovative Approach to Obesity Treatment
Moonwalk’s innovative approach focuses on targeting adipose tissue, a specialized form of connective tissue, using gene silencing techniques. This contrasts with existing obesity treatments like Ozempic, which function by mimicking gut hormones to suppress appetite and slow digestion. Instead, Moonwalk employs adipose-targeted RNA interference (RNAi), aiming to modulate cellular functions at the epigenetic level.
The company possesses an exclusive license for the adipose-targeting technology developed by Suzhou Siran Biotechnology in China. Alex Aravanis, Moonwalk’s co-founder and CEO, has a strong academic background with a PhD in Electrical Engineering and an MD from Stanford University. His vision is to harness non-incretin pathways to refine obesity treatment strategies.
Preclinical studies have shown that MW101 significantly reduces body weight and fat mass while preserving lean muscle without impacting food intake. The firm is also working on a range of other tissue-targeted siRNA therapies aimed at addressing obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders.
Future Outlook
Rick Gerson, co-founder and CEO of Alpha Wave, highlights that Moonwalk’s targeted approach could reshape obesity treatment paradigms, potentially offering lasting efficacy, preservation of lean muscle, and less frequent dosing.
Alpha Wave is a prominent investment firm with approximately $29 billion in assets under management, known for backing influential companies such as SpaceX and OpenAI. YK Ventures, established in 2023 and co-leading Moonwalk’s funding round, has also invested in various biotech startups, showcasing its commitment to advancing healthcare innovations.
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