Novartis Backed $25M Series A Closed by Mekonos

Many of the rarest and most difficult-to-treat diseases are caused by a single gene mutation, making routine pharmaceutical and surgical treatments ineffective. On the other hand, cell and gene therapies have emerged as more effective possibilities, allowing diseases to be attacked at the cellular level.

However, while cell and gene therapies provide a more personalized approach to treating uncommon disorders, they can be costly and complicated. Scientists connect a modified or healthy version of a molecule to a viral vector, a microscopic mechanism that carries the molecule into the targeted cell, in the most typical way.

Mekonos is working on a cell engineering platform that employs silicon nanoneedles to deliver DNA, RNA, or CRISPR molecules directly into individual cells, without the need for a viral vector escort into the nucleus. Several venture capitalists have lent their support to this lofty goal. This week, the Fierce 15 alum reported completing its series A investment round, which raised a higher-than-expected $25 million. The extra money will be utilized to expand the company’s scientific and business development initiatives to continue fine-tuning the platform. It will also help Mekonos develop both its internal and external teams.

Ex vivo delivery of cell and gene therapies into any cell, no matter how fragile, is possible with Mekonos‘ “system-on-a-chip” platform, which employs arrays of hundreds of silicon nanoneedles. In addition, Mekonos‘ chip technology, powered by miniature electro-mechanical systems, microfluidics, and chemistry, is reusable and can deliver many therapeutic payloads at once, making it a promising therapy option for several ailments.