London-based biotech Engitix has raised US$25m in a Series A extension, with billionaire hedge fund founder Mike Platt backing the company for the second time.

The preclinical company is developing therapies that target the extracellular matrix (ECM), the structural material surrounding cells in tissues, in solid tumours and fibrosis.

Founder Giuseppe Mazza said the company chose to present the funding as an extension rather than a new round to match its current stage.

“We are still preclinical and want the financing label to match the company’s current stage; the series B is intended to be the step-up round once we are ready to enter the clinic and pursue clinical proof-of-concept, which typically supports a larger raise,” he said.

The extension was led by Netherton Investments, which invests on behalf of Platt, co-founder of BlueCrest Capital Management. Platt also co-led the company’s US$54m Series A in 2022.

Mazza said: “We target disease-specific changes in the extracellular matrix, which is the abnormal tissue environment that actively drives both cancer and fibrosis. In oncology, patients with desmoplastic tumours have particularly poor outcomes because the dense tumour matrix limits the effectiveness of current treatments.

“By targeting disease-specific ECM changes, we can anchor therapies directly to tumour tissue in hard-to-treat, desmoplastic cancers and aim to actively clear established scar tissue in fibrosis.”

Engitix has three disclosed preclinical programmes and two confidential collaborative programmes with Takeda.

Corsera Health has raised US$80m in Series A funding to develop preventive RNAi medicines and AI tools to predict and prevent cardiovascular disease.

The Boston-based company has begun dosing patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial of COR-1004, a drug designed to lower cholesterol by silencing PCSK9, a gene that regulates LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Corsera is developing medicines using RNA interference (RNAi), which silences specific genes to reduce disease-causing proteins.

Its approach targets elevated LDL cholesterol and high blood pressure, the two main drivers of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, where plaque builds up in artery walls.

The medicines are designed for once-annual administration to enable broad access.

Clive Meanwell, co-founder and co-chief executive of Corsera Health, said: “At Corsera, we are motivated by a bold vision: a world without cardiovascular disease.

“We are making strong progress towards a future in which preventive care enables people to live longer, healthier lives, and the initiation of our first clinical trial marks an important milestone on that journey.”

The Series A round was co-led by Forbion and Population Health Partners.

The company expects initial proof-of-concept data in 2026, with a second Phase 1 trial anticipated to begin in mid-2026.

John Maraganore, co-founder and co-chief executive of Corsera Health, said: “By combining AI-enabled prediction of lifetime ASCVD risk with preventive RNAi medicines, Corsera has the potential to change the trajectory of cardiovascular disease, enabling earlier intervention and broad access to prevention at a population scale.”