Acurastem secures $7.5M CIRM grant as Coya Therapeutics gains FDA fast‑track for ALS drugs

Acurastem Therapeutics received a $7.5 million grant from California’s Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to move its antisense oligonucleotide AS‑241 toward Phase 1 clinical testing. AS‑241 targets TDP‑43 protein abnormalities—present in about 97 % of ALS cases—by restoring UNC13A protein levels, aiming to improve nerve‑cell communication. The funding follows a prior $4 million CIRM award used for manufacturing and preclinical safety studies.

Separately, Coya Therapeutics was granted FDA fast‑track designation for its ALS candidate, accelerating regulatory review. Both developments highlight advancing therapeutic approaches for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in the United States.