Lario Therapeutics, a company based in Edinburgh, has received $2.4 million in new funding from The Michael J Fox Foundation and Wellcome. This money will help them develop new medicines for brain and nerve disorders, including epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. The company focuses on creating new types of treatments that target specific problems in the brain. The funding will help Lario expand its work on special drugs that can block certain channels in brain cells. These channels control the flow of calcium, which is important for brain cell function. With this money, Lario will work on treatments for Parkinson’s disease and start research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which has been identified as a serious condition that needs attention. The Michael J Fox Foundation gave $1.5 million to support Lario’s work on a specific target in Parkinson’s disease. This target has been highlighted as a promising area for new treatments. Wellcome gave $900,000 to help validate another target in PTSD. This follows previous research that linked changes in a specific gene to an increased risk of the condition. Henning Steinhagen, the CEO of Lario Therapeutics, said: ‘Lario was founded to translate strong human genetics and neuronal biology into precision medicines for patients with severe neurological disease. We are grateful for the continued support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation, and the funding from Wellcome which support us to advance these unique programmes towards the clinic, taking us one step closer to providing meaningful treatments for patients with high unmet need.’ Tom Otis, the Chief Scientific Officer of Lario Therapeutics, explained: ‘These awards recognise the growing body of evidence linking neuronal calcium channel dysfunction to the core biology of neurological and psychiatric diseases. By combining selective small-molecule chemistry with rigorous target biology, we are building a unique platform designed to deliver precision therapies for patients suffering from epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder.’ Alongside this grant-funded expansion, the company continues to develop its leading CaV2.3 programme for severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathies, with phase-enabling studies planned for 2026.