SNAPSHOT

Korsana launches with $175M to test next-gen Alzheimer’s antibody in 2027

Boston-area startup Korsana Biosciences has emerged from stealth with $175 million to advance KRSA-028, an anti-amyloid antibody engineered to cross the blood-brain barrier, into the clinic by early 2027.

Why it matters: Alzheimer’s remains a massive unmet need, and current amyloid drugs carry safety risks and cumbersome IV dosing. Korsana aims to improve brain delivery, reduce anemia and brain swelling risks, and replace IV dosing with simple subcutaneous injections.

Backstory: Founded in 2024, Korsana raised a $25 million seed round and a $150 million series A led by Wellington Management and TCGX, with backing from J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, Sanofi Ventures and Foresite Capital. CEO Jonathan Violin previously led Viridian, Dianthus and Quellis. KRSA-028 was discovered with Paragon Therapeutics.

Big picture: Korsana joins a crowded field of second-generation amyloid players trying to solve limitations of first-wave drugs like Leqembi, Kisunla and Aduhelm, particularly amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) and delivery challenges. Roche, AbbVie (via Aliada), and Denali are pursuing similar transferrin receptor-based strategies.

Zoom in: KRSA-028 works by binding to transferrin receptors to shuttle across the blood-brain barrier and target amyloid beta. Korsana reduced the antibody’s effector function to avoid attacking young red blood cells, aiming to limit anemia while maintaining plaque clearance. Competition like Roche’s trontinemab is already in phase 3 but binds to reticulocytes as well as transferrin receptors, which might explain the 10%–20% anemia rates that have been observed.

What’s next: Korsana continues to collaborate with Paragon and is scouting external assets, with ambitions to build and independently scale a long-term neurodegeneration-focused biotech. The company plans to file for clinical entry in early 2027 and is expecting initial safety data by mid-2027, with proof-of-concept plaque reduction by year-end.

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