Merida Biosciences Launches with $121 Million in Series A Financing to Develop Precision Therapeutics for Autoimmune, Allergic Diseases

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Merida Biosciences announced that it has launched with $121 million in Series A financing to develop a novel class of precision therapeutics targeting autoimmune and allergic diseases. The company’s platform is designed to selectively and durably eliminate pathogenic antibodies, which are drivers of diseases, allergies, and primary membranous nephropathy, without causing broad immunosuppression.¹

“We are driven by the opportunity to fundamentally transform the treatment of a wide range of severe autoimmune and allergic diseases,” said Adam Townsend, CEO, Merida, in a press release. “For the first time, we have the potential to precisely target the clear pathogenic drivers of an intractable set of diseases with absolute selectivity and a degree of completeness and durability that has not been achievable through any approach to date.”

Financing for the company was led by Bain Capital Life Sciences, BVF Partners, and Third Rock Ventures. Additional investors included GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Funds.¹

“We are excited to partner with Merida in unlocking the broad clinical impact of this revolutionary therapeutic approach,” said Reid Huber, PhD, board director, Merida, partner, Third Rock Ventures, in the press release. “We believe Merida is on the cusp of delivering on a long-recognized need and opportunity for impact—a new class of medicines that can drive deeper, more selective and more durable depletion of pathogenic antibodies than is possible today.”

Merida’s proprietary platform generates engineered proteins called Fc therapeutics, designed to function similarly to natural antibodies. However, these therapeutics are specifically engineered to target and eliminate pathogenic antibodies while sparing the helpful ones. Additionally, the company states that these Fc therapeutics work to eliminate the B cells that produce damaging antibodies, helping to prevent the recurrence of the disease.¹

Merida states that its platform maintains three notable advantages in generating first- and best-in-class medicines. First, the platform uses a precisely engineered protein component that selectively binds harmful antibodies.

Second, the molecules are designed to engage FcγRIIB, a receptor that facilitates safe clearance, while avoiding FcγRIIA, which could trigger unwanted immune reactions and minimize toxicity. The platform is also optimized for long-lasting activity, with antibody-like properties that allow for extended pharmacological effects, reducing the need for frequent dosing.²

“At the heart of Merida is understanding the mechanisms behind antibody-driven diseases like Graves’ at the molecular level, and leveraging these insights to develop precision therapeutics that have thus far evaded the field,” said Dario Gutierrez, PhD, co-founder, chief scientific officer, Merida, in the press release. “Our highly differentiated approach has the potential to yield best-in-class treatments by going after the root causes of these devastating diseases, which we believe can help patients lead healthier lives.”

Merida is currently developing a potential groundbreaking therapeutic to target and bind pathogenic autoantibodies to the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR), which are responsible for causing Graves disease. The company expects the therapeutic to completely block autoantibody-induced TSHR signaling in Graves disease while preserving native thyroid-stimulating hormone activity.³

“By leveraging significant, recent advances in protein engineering and immunology, Merida is pioneering an exciting and welcome advancement for the field,” said Andrew Hack, M., PhD, partner, Bain Capital Life Sciences, in the press release. “The company’s selective and durable approach holds immense potential to help a large group of patients in need of better therapies.”

References

1. Merida Biosciences Launches with $121M to Create Therapeutics for Multiple Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases. Businesswire. April 8, 2025. Accessed April 10, 2025. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250408215617/en/Merida-Biosciences-Launches-with-%24121M-to-Create-Therapeutics-for-Multiple-Autoimmune-and-Allergic-Diseases

2. A focus on pathogenic antibodies. Merida. Accessed April 10, 2025. https://meridabio.com/science-platform/

3. We are developing a robust pipeline to eliminate pathogenic disease drivers across multiple indications. Merida. Accessed April 10, 2025. https://meridabio.com/pipeline-programs/