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Superluminal Medicines Announces Oversubscribed $60 Million Series B Financing to Advance Lead Program in Rare Genetic Forms of Obesity into the Clinic
PR Newswire
BOSTON, Sept. 3, 2026
Financing led by BVF Partners, L.P. and includes participation from Deep Track Capital and Perceptive Advisors alongside existing investors RA Capital Management, Insight Partners, NVIDIA, Catalio Capital Management, Eli Lilly and Company, Cooley, and Gaingels
Proceeds will support initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial in rare, genetic forms of obesity by the end of 2026, as well as continued expansion of GPCR-focused discovery platform
BOSTON, Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Superluminal Medicines, a biotechnology company integrating AI/ML, protein dynamics and structural biology to rapidly unlock some of the most challenging G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) targets, today announced the closing of an oversubscribed $60 million Series B financing. Proceeds will support advancing Superluminal’s lead program for rare genetic forms of obesity and hypothalamic obesity, expected to begin by the end of 2026; advancing additional pipeline programs; and further expanding the company’s portfolio of next-generation small-molecule GPCR-targeted therapies for endocrine and cardiometabolic diseases.
BVF Partners, L.P., led the financing, with participation from new investors Deep Track Capital and Perceptive Advisors, along with existing investors RA Capital Management, Insight Partners, NVIDIA, Catalio Capital Management, Eli Lilly and Company, Cooley, and Gaingels.
“This financing represents an important milestone in Superluminal’s evolution as we transition from a discovery platform company to a clinical-stage biotechnology company,” said Cony D’Cruz, Chief Executive Officer of Superluminal Medicines. “Rare genetic forms of obesity and hypothalamic obesity are devastating diseases with limited treatment options, and we believe our selective, biased MC4R agonist has the potential to make a meaningful difference for these patients. With the support of this exceptional investor syndicate, we are positioned to advance our first clinical program while continuing to build a pipeline of GPCR-targeted medicines for patients with significant unmet needs in cardiometabolic diseases and obesity.”
Superluminal’s lead clinical program is a selective, biased MC4R agonist being developed for rare genetic forms of obesity and hypothalamic obesity, with a Phase 1 clinical trial expected to begin by the end of 2026. The MC4R pathway is a clinically validated regulator of energy homeostasis and appetite, with established relevance in rare genetic forms of obesity, including Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) and hypothalamic obesity. Because MC4R signaling plays an important role in many metabolic conditions, the program may have future applications in rare diseases such as Prader-Willi syndrome, as well as in the broader population in combination with GLP-1 therapies. Superluminal’s approach is designed to maximize therapeutic activity while minimizing side effects by activating only the signaling pathways responsible for the desired clinical effect. In preclinical studies, the candidate demonstrated high selectivity and a favorable safety profile.
Superluminal has pioneered the integration of advanced structural biology with proprietary machine learning tools to accelerate the discovery of candidate-ready small molecules. Initially focused on GPCRs—a structurally complex and challenging target class—the platform combines Agentic Cryo-EM capabilities, which enable the generation of hundreds of empirical GPCR structures, with GPCR-focused co-folding models, de novo small-molecule design across diverse 3D pocket conformations, predictive ADME/toxicology models, and novel GPCR biophysics. Together, these capabilities enable the exploration of functional selectivity and structural complexity at unprecedented scale and form the foundation of Superluminal’s next-generation R&D engine. In addition to its wholly owned pipeline, Superluminal continues to advance its strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical partners, including a partnership with Eli Lilly and Company to advance small molecule therapeutics targeting undisclosed GPCRs for cardiometabolic diseases and obesity.
“We are excited to partner with Superluminal as the company prepares to enter the clinic,” said Harsha Paladugu, Investment Analyst at BVF and member of Superluminal’s Board of Directors. “The lead MC4R program has the potential to address a serious unmet need for patients with rare genetic forms of obesity, and we believe Superluminal’s integrated discovery platform has demonstrated the ability to generate differentiated small molecule medicines against historically challenging GPCR targets.”
“The caliber of this financing syndicate speaks to the progress Superluminal has made in establishing a differentiated approach to small molecule drug discovery,” said Nandita Shangari, managing director at RA Capital Management and a member of Superluminal’s Board of Directors. “Bringing together leading healthcare investors alongside existing strategic and technology partners reflects growing confidence in both the company’s platform and the team’s ability to translate that technology into meaningful clinical programs. As Superluminal enters its next phase of growth, the company is well positioned to build a pipeline of innovative medicines for patients in need.”
About Superluminal Medicines
Superluminal Medicines has pioneered the generation and integration of structural biology with proprietary machine learning tools to revolutionize the speed and accuracy of small-molecule drug discovery. The Company’s platform aims to create candidate-ready compounds with unprecedented speed using a combination of deep biology, computational and medicinal chemistry, machine learning, and proprietary big data infrastructure. The Company’s proprietary pipeline validates its platform with initial programs focused on high-value GPCR targets, including its wholly owned lead program: a best-in-class, selective, and biased MC4R agonist for the treatment of rare and genetic forms of obesity, expected to enter the clinic by the end of 2026.
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SOURCE Superluminal Medicines
