Biotech startup Helex raises $3.5M to advance gene therapies for kidney diseases
Hyderabad- and Cambridge-based biotech startup Helex will use the capital to advance its gene therapy platform and develop targeted treatments for inherited kidney disorders.
Biotechnology startup Helex on Thursday raised $3.5 million in a funding round led by pi Ventures, with participation from Bluehill Capital, SOSV, and a group of global investors, to advance the development of its targeted gene therapies for kidney disorders.
With the latest round, the US- and India-based company has secured over $6 million in total funding.
Helex plans to deploy the capital to accelerate preclinical studies for its lead programme, aimed at treating Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD), and expand its lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery and AI-driven genome drug design platforms.
YourStory reported the funding development first.
Founded in 2021 by Dr Poulami Chaudhuri, Rohini Kalvakuntla, and Anirudh Nishtala, Helex is developing non-viral LNP-based genetic therapies designed to deliver genetic material directly to kidney cells. The startup operates from ASPIRE-BioNEST at the University of Hyderabad and Bayer Co.Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The company’s lead therapy focuses on ADPKD, a progressive, inherited disease that affects an estimated 12 million people worldwide, including about 5% of chronic kidney disease patients in India, according to the India Renal Foundation. The disorder often progresses to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or transplantation.
“This is more than a new treatment; it’s a new hope,” said Dr Chaudhuri, Co-founder and CEO of Helex, in an interaction with YourStory.
She added, "There’s a huge unmet need in kidney diseases. One of the key challenges why cell and gene therapies haven’t succeeded in this space is that delivery to the kidney is extremely difficult—it’s a complex organ with more than 26 different cell types."
“Gene therapies are emerging as one of the most promising frontiers in medicine,” said Roopan Aulakh, Managing Partner at pi Ventures. “Helex’s first-in-class mechanism of action has the potential to be a curative therapy and positions the company to build a differentiated pipeline for kidney diseases.”
Helex’s proprietary Epic-Cure™ platform combines deep learning, bioinformatics, and genome editing to design and validate gene-based therapies. The startup says its technology could eventually be extended to other chronic and rare kidney conditions that currently lack effective treatments.
“We’ve developed our own proprietary lipids and lipid nanoparticles that allow us to target different cell types within the kidney,” said Dr. Chaudhuri. “Our lead indication is Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease, and with the funds we’ve raised, we aim to accelerate its preclinical development.”
Edited by Suman Singh