The financing will accelerate clinical validation and commercial readiness of brain-derived blood biomarkers based on circular RNA technology.
Circular Genomics Inc closed a $15 million Series A financing round to advance its circular RNA-based biomarker platform for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. Mountain Group Partners led the round, with participation from Poplar Grove Investors, HIP Fund, and the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
The San Diego-based company develops circular RNA-based precision medicine tools for neurology and psychiatry. The funding will accelerate clinical development and commercialization of the company’s proprietary circRNA biomarker platform.
“This Series A financing represents a pivotal milestone in our journey to advance precision neurology, including Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and patient care,” says Paul Sargeant, chief executive officer of Circular Genomics, in a release. “The strong support from our world-class investors validates the breakthrough potential of our circular RNA platform and underscores the urgent need for accessible blood-based biomarkers that can detect Alzheimer’s biology at the earliest stages.”
Addressing Diagnostic Gaps in Alzheimer’s Disease
Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 7 million Americans, with diagnosis often delayed by two to three years after symptom onset. Approximately 75% of all dementia cases go undiagnosed, and among patients with diagnosed dementia, roughly 50% receive no formal diagnosis, according to the company.
Traditional diagnostic methods, including PET imaging and cerebrospinal fluid testing, are expensive, invasive, and not widely accessible. The recent approval of disease-modifying therapies has created urgency for accurate, accessible blood-based biomarkers that can identify patients at the earliest disease stages, the company notes in a release.
Circular Genomics’ platform uses circular RNAs—highly stable, brain-enriched non-coding RNAs—that regulate core biological pathways altered in Alzheimer’s disease, including neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, synaptic dysfunction, neural plasticity, and amyloid/tau pathology.
Platform Performance and Clinical Applications
The company’s whole-blood transcriptomic models capture disease-relevant circRNA signatures across the full Alzheimer’s disease continuum. The platform demonstrated the ability to detect early disease biology and assess risk before symptoms appear, according to data presented at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease conference.
“Circular Genomics’ circRNA platform stands out for its ability to capture the complex biology of Alzheimer’s disease across multiple pathogenic pathways, which can provide clinicians with actionable insights, potentially even before memory and thinking issues emerge,” says Andrew Lechleiter, chief executive officer at Poplar Grove Investors LLC, in a release.
The technology aims to enable identification of patients at early disease stages and match them with appropriate preventative interventions or disease-modifying therapies. The platform also has potential applications for treatment selection and disease monitoring.
“The company’s circular RNA technology provides a fundamentally different and more detailed view of Alzheimer’s disease biology than existing biomarkers,” says Joe Cook III, managing director at Mountain Group Partners, in a release. “Combined with the team’s world-class scientific expertise and the compelling clinical data they have generated, we believe Circular Genomics is uniquely positioned to become the leader in precision neurology diagnostics.”
The Series A proceeds will support clinical programs, team expansion, and advancement of the company’s diagnostic test toward market. Circular Genomics also develops precision medicine tools for other neurological and psychiatric conditions including Parkinson’s disease, major depressive disorder, and bipolar disorder.
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