Vima Therapeutics Secures $100M to Launch Oral Drug for Movement Disorders

Biotech startup Vima Therapeutics secures $100M to launch a promising oral drug aimed at improving motor control in patients with Parkinson’s and dystonia.

A biotechnology startup called Vima Therapeutics is creating VIM0423, a possible first-in-class oral medication that can be used once daily to treat movement disorders, particularly Parkinson's disease and isolated dystonia. The company has raised $100 million, in an effort to launch this oral treatment which would help patients with specific neurological conditions to regain control over their movements.

Vima’s drug VIM0423 is an antagonist that selectively targets muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the brain which help regulate a variety of neurological functions such as motor control. The drug aims to restore the balance between dopamine and acetylcholine signaling, which is disrupted in movement disorders. VIM0423 is designed to be safer and have other enhanced pharmacological properties.

As a neurologist who has treated patients with Parkinson's disease and dystonia, Bernard Ravina, MD, MS, founder and CEO of Vima Therapeutics, stated that he has observed the drawbacks and limitations of the existing medicines in treating significant symptoms that impact day-to-day functioning. He added that Vima Therapeutics is confident that VIM0423 may meet those criteria for those with movement disorders based on their most recent Phase 1 results.

More than three years ago, biotechnology investor Atlas Venture founded Vima Therapeutics and has brought a combination medication known as VIM0423 to the edge of mid-stage research in dystonia and Parkinson's disease. It is expected that both trials will be completed in 2027. New investor Frazier Life Sciences (FLS) and current investors Atlas Venture, Access Industries, and Canaan Partners participated in the new drug's investment round. FLS partner Joe Cabral will become a member of Vima's board of directors. The funding will allow the company to finish two Phase 2 trials using VIM0423 for Parkinson's disease and isolated dystonia.