Coherence Neuro, a startup developing brain implants intended to fight cancer, has raised $45 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and the OpenAI Startup Fund. Lux Capital, Olive Capital and 8VC also participated. In a post, the company said the proceeds will fund its first chronic human trial testing the implant as a treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer that has claimed prominent figures including Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator John McCain. Coherence also plans to seek FDA designation of the device as a breakthrough and to expand testing to pancreatic cancer and other malignancies.
The funding matters because glioblastoma carries a grim prognosis at diagnosis, and Coherence's approach departs from conventional drug or surgical strategies. Founded in 2022 by Elise Jenkins and Ben Woodington, the company is built around SOMA, an implant the size of a button. SOMA monitors the electrical signals emitted by cancerous cells and delivers electrical signals intended to disrupt tumor development. It works alongside a removable wearable placed just above the ear, with both components interfacing with an app that tracks symptoms, records a patient's therapy history and supplies additional patient data in real time.
The design rests on prior research finding that tumors have unique electrical signals and fields; by disrupting that activity, researchers posited, cancer development could be arrested before it becomes advanced. Several consenting patients have had the device implanted in their brains during surgery to remove glioblastoma tumors, initial tests aimed at establishing safety. To pursue its objectives, Coherence said it is looking to expand its multi-disciplinary team of operators and builders.
If the trials succeed, the implants could become commercially available and alter the outlook for glioblastoma patients. The company's progress comes as other entities pursue novel treatments for brain cancer, including CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP), which is developing medications for patients with different types of brain cancer such as glioblastoma. The announcement was circulated through BioMedWire, a communications platform focused on biotechnology, biomedical sciences and life sciences that operates within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio at IBN. The platform distributes content through wire services including InvestorWire and provides editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets. For investors and patients alike, the round signals that high-profile backers are willing to finance a hardware-based, neuroscience-driven challenge to one of oncology's hardest targets, though the technology remains in early safety testing.
