Lys Therapeutics Surpasses €25 Million in Funding and Advances LYS241 Toward Clinical Development Across Neurological Indications
Over €25 million raised since company inception from private investors, public institutions, international foundations and public innovation programs
- Funding momentum strengthened by the arrival of new investors: Normandie Participation, TCD Capital and FIDAT Ventures
- Resources intended to finalize regulatory studies, secure industrial manufacturing, and support LYS241’s entry into clinic, as part of a biomarker-rich Phase 1a/1b program with indication-specific cohorts across several neurological diseases.
Lyon & Caen, France, June 22, 2026 – Lys Therapeutics, a French biotechnology company pioneering an innovative approach targeting the tPA-NMDAr axis to treat neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases, today announced that it has raised more than €25 million since its founding in 2021. In five years, the company has achieved several key preclinical, regulatory, industrial and translational maturation milestones, creating the conditions required to advance LYS241 into the clinic.
This major milestone reflects the confidence of investors and institutional partners in the technology developed by Lys Therapeutics and in the therapeutic potential of its drug candidate LYS241. The funding secured combines equity investments, non-dilutive public funding and support from international foundations dedicated to biomedical research.
These supporters include the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, a U.S.-based foundation that recently awarded Lys Therapeutics a grant of more than $5 million to accelerate the clinical development of LYS241 in Parkinson’s disease. This momentum is also supported by several selective public programs backing breakthrough healthcare innovation, including Bpifrance and France 2030.
Strengthening of the shareholder base
This growth momentum is accompanied by the arrival of new strategic investors in the company’s share capital: Normandie Participation, the investment fund of the Normandy Region, TCD Capital (The Club Deal), an investment fund backed by European private investors, as well as FIDAT Ventures, the Oddo family investment vehicle.
They join Lys Therapeutics’ historical investors, including ZCUBE, the investment vehicle of the pharmaceutical group Zambon, as well as Philippe Bissay, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of HAC Pharma.
Solid financing to support the transition into the clinic
Thanks to the resources raised, Lys Therapeutics is currently conducting the regulatory studies required to launch the first clinical trials in humans.
A biomarker-rich Phase 1a/1b clinical program is in preparation. It is expected to combine healthy volunteer cohorts and indication-specific patient cohorts, in order to document safety, pharmacokinetics and early proof-of-biology signals across several priority indications.
Recent advances in several priority indications
Parkinson’s disease: the $5 million grant awarded by the Michael J. Fox Foundation is part of the increasing scientific and translational validation of the program. Recent preclinical data support the potential of LYS241 to act on BBB dysfunction, neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative progression.
Synucleinopathies, including multiple system atrophy: beyond Parkinson’s disease, Lys Therapeutics is continuing to explore the potential of LYS241 in synucleinopathies, including multiple system atrophy, where new preclinical data confirm the relevance of this approach.
Ischemic stroke: Lys Therapeutics is developing LYS241 as a standalone or complementary approach to standard reperfusion therapies, including thrombolytics (alteplase, tenecteplase) and mechanical thrombectomy. Preclinical data support the potential of this approach to preserve BBB integrity, improve reperfusion quality, and reduce the hemorrhagic and inflammatory complications associated with pathological neurovascular effects driven by tPA-NMDAr pathway activation.
A strengthened translational, industrial and strategic package
The company is also strengthening its translational package through human tissue analyses, genetic approaches and biomarkers aimed at documenting the role of the tPA-NMDAr axis in the targeted neurological diseases.
Lys Therapeutics has also consolidated its industrial strategy to secure the large-scale production of LYS241 batches, a key milestone to support the program’s transition toward clinical proof of concept.
Over the past few months, the company has also advanced its governance and medical advisory support to underpin its clinical strategy. These advances are accompanied by increasing international visibility among foundations, expert clinicians, specialized investors and pharmaceutical partners.
Developed through a unique approach, LYS241 aims to restore BBB integrity, limit neuroinflammatory processes and protect brain tissue. By targeting a vascular mechanism shared by several acute and chronic neurological diseases, LYS241 supports a development strategy known as ‘pipeline-in-a-product’, with expansion potential beyond a single indication.
“Raising more than €25 million in only five years is a strong recognition of the quality of our science, the relevance of our therapeutic approach and the broad potential of LYS241. This financial support gives us the means to pursue the regulatory studies and finalize preparation of a Phase 1a/1b clinical program. The recent advances achieved in Parkinson’s disease, synucleinopathies and ischemic stroke reinforce our conviction that LYS241 can become a cross-indication therapeutic platform for several severe neurological diseases. Our ambition is to translate differentiated biology into a new class of treatments capable of modifying the course of diseases for which medical needs remain considerable,” said Dr. Manuel Blanc, CEO and co-founder of Lys Therapeutics.
About LYS241
LYS241 is a fully humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody with a silent Fc backbone, designed to block the pathological interaction between tPA and NMDA receptors. By targeting this tPA-NMDAr pathway, LYS241 aims to neutralize key mechanisms involved in neurovascular dysfunction, blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity, which contribute to the progression of numerous neurological diseases.
This differentiated mechanism translates into broad therapeutic potential:
- Parkinson’s disease: LYS241 is being developed as a potentially disease-modifying approach designed to act upstream on neurovascular dysfunction, BBB disruption and neuroinflammation. Preclinical data support its potential to slow disease progression and preserve motor function, with the objective of complementing current symptomatic treatments.
- Synucleinopathies, including multiple system atrophy: LYS241 has differentiating potential in rapidly progressive synucleinopathies, particularly multiple system atrophy, an orphan disease with high unmet medical need and no approved disease-modifying treatment to date. The preclinical data generated support the relevance of this approach to target mechanisms of neurovascular dysfunction and neuroinflammation, with the objective of slowing disease progression and preserving motor and autonomic functions.
- Ischemic stroke: LYS241 is being developed as a standalone or complementary approach to standard thrombolytic agents (alteplase / tenecteplase) and mechanical thrombectomy, with the objective of preserving cerebral vascular integrity, improving the quality of reperfusion, and reducing hemorrhagic and inflammatory complications.
By targeting a unifying neurovascular mechanism, Lys Therapeutics is deploying a pipeline-in-a-drug strategy aimed at fully leveraging the therapeutic potential of LYS241 across a broad spectrum of neurological diseases with high unmet medical need.
About Lys Therapeutics
Next-generation biotherapies for neurological diseases.
Lys Therapeutics is an advanced preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative monoclonal antibodies to treat patients with severe neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases associated with significant unmet medical needs. The company targets upstream biological determinants, shared across several major neurological indications, at the intersection of neurovascular dysfunction, neuroinflammation and excitotoxicity.
Its lead candidate, LYS241, is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody with a unique mechanism of action that selectively blocks the pathological interaction between tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and NMDA receptors (NMDAr), while preserving the physiological function of these receptors. By dissociating this key neurovascular axis, LYS241 simultaneously restores blood-brain barrier integrity, reduces neuroinflammation and protects both vascular and neuronal compartments.
Headquartered in Lyon and Caen (France), and leveraging strong collaborations with leading international academic institutions, Lys Therapeutics is deploying a pipeline-in-a-product strategy centered on LYS241. The company is supported by prestigious partners, including The Michael J. Fox Foundation, Bpifrance and private investors.
