Tetraneuron secures funding for Alzheimer’s gene therapy trial

Madrid-based  Tetraneuron SL. has announced the successful completion of a new funding round to advance its breakthrough gene therapy for Alzheimer’s disease into clinical development. While the company did not disclose the exact sum, previous similar financing ranged between €5–15m.

Founded in 2012 as a spin-off from Spain’s renowned Cajal Institute (part of the Spanish National Research Council), Tetraneuron has developed a proprietary gene therapy platform centred on E2F4DN, a dominant-negative form of the transcription factor E2F4, a master regulator of neuronal homeostasis. E2F4 controls multiple essential pathways in neurons, including cell cycle arrest, synaptic plasticity, axonal growth, DNA repair, mitochondrial function, and neuroinflammatory responses. By modulating E2F4 activity, Tetraneuron’s therapy aims to restore neuronal function, prevent aberrant cell cycle re-entry in post-mitotic neurons, reduce amyloid-beta accumulation, improve synaptic connectivity, and enhance neuroprotection, addressing Alzheimer’s disease at its molecular root rather than only mitigating symptoms.

Tetraneuron’s lead candidate, TET-101, has demonstrated a unique safety and efficacy profile in preclinical studies, effectively regulating E2F4-dependent pathways without inducing toxic effects commonly associated with master regulator modulation. The company has already achieved key regulatory milestones, including a Pre-IND meeting with the U.S. FDA in 2022, and is now preparing to submit a Clinical Trial Application (CTA) in Europe. If successful, TET-101 could become the first gene therapy fully developed within Spain’s advanced therapies ecosystem to progress from discovery through preclinical research to clinical execution.

The new investment comes from GIMIC Ventures, a Karlsruhe-based venture capital fund, which will support Tetraneuron’s progression toward advanced clinical phases.

CEO Ángel Lucio Pereira commented: “Our CTA submission marks the culmination of over a decade of research and brings us closer to delivering a potentially disease-modifying therapy worldwide.”

Alzheimer’s currently affects more than 55 million people globally—a figure projected to triple by 2050. With treatment options still limited to symptomatic relief, Tetraneuron’s E2F4-targeted gene therapy offers one of the most promising approaches to halt disease progression, restore neuronal function, and protect against synaptic and cognitive decline.