# Leal Therapeutics

> Leal Therapeutics is a Worcester, Massachusetts biotech founded in 2021 by repeat CNS entrepreneur Asa Abeliovich, the scientist behind Prevail Therapeutics (acquired by Eli Lilly). Leal builds first-in-class neuro-metabolic medicines on a single idea: many brain diseases share a broken metabolism, and correcting those imbalances can treat conditions from schizophrenia to ALS. Backed by roughly $114M in total funding, its pipeline includes LTX-001, a brain-penetrant oral glutaminase inhibitor in the clinic, and LTX-002, an antisense oligonucleotide for ALS.

- **Founded:** 2021
- **Headquarters:** Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founders:** Asa Abeliovich (Founder & Chief Executive Officer)
- **Team size:** ~34 employees
- **Products:** LTX-001, LTX-002, LTX-007, Nucleic acid delivery platform
- **Notable:** Raised approximately $114M in total funding since 2021 across seed, a 2024 financing, and a 2025 Series A., Advanced LTX-001 into the clinic with early data supporting safety and target engagement., Built a multi-asset pipeline spanning small molecules and antisense oligonucleotides for both psychiatric and neurodegenerative disease.

## Products & services

- **LTX-001** — A clinical-stage, first-in-class brain-penetrant oral small molecule that targets excessive glutamate by inhibiting the mitochondrial enzyme glutaminase. Being developed for neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder, with potential in ALS. Early clinical data support safety and target engagement.
- **LTX-002** — A near-clinical-stage antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) for patients with genetic or sporadic ALS, which inhibits SPT (the rate-limiting enzyme SPTLC1 subunit) to reduce de novo synthesis of ceramides and sphingolipids.
- **LTX-007** — A small molecule SPT inhibitor in development for Alzheimer's disease, ALS, and inherited sphingolipidoses.
- **Nucleic acid delivery platform** — Next-generation antibody-like shuttle technology designed to carry nucleic acid therapeutics across the blood-brain barrier.

## Achievements

- Raised approximately $114M in total funding since 2021 across seed, a 2024 financing, and a 2025 Series A.
- Advanced LTX-001 into the clinic with early data supporting safety and target engagement.
- Built a multi-asset pipeline spanning small molecules and antisense oligonucleotides for both psychiatric and neurodegenerative disease.
- Founded by Asa Abeliovich, whose prior company Prevail Therapeutics was acquired by Eli Lilly in 2021.

## Latest updates

- **2025-08** — Announced a $30 million Series A led by SV Health Investors' Dementia Discovery Fund to advance LTX-001 in schizophrenia and LTX-002 in ALS.
- **2024-11** — Announced $45 million in financing to progress its pipeline of CNS therapies.
- **2022** — Closed a $39 million seed round to develop ALS and schizophrenia treatments from its Worcester, MA base.

## Links

- Website: https://lealtx.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/leal-therapeutics

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/leal-therapeutics
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-07