Oyster Therapeutics adds $60M to Series A for tau-targeting degraders
- London-based Oyster Therapeutics (formerly Kesmalea Therapeutics) raised $60M in a Series A-2 extension led by 4BIO Capital, with eight other investors including Lilly.
- Its lead protein degrader links a tau-binding molecule to an enzyme-recruiting moiety; the company says it targets disease-causing tau while sparing healthy forms.
- A clinic start date has not been disclosed. Oyster is working with Massachusetts General Hospital on a neurotoxic tau form and is assessing cancer and immunology uses.
💡 Points Based on public reports
Tau has burned plenty of antibody programs, so a degrader aimed at only the pathological form is an intriguing alternative, yet this is preclinical-stage storytelling with no clinic date. Lilly's presence among the investors is the more telling signal; whether selectivity and brain exposure hold up in humans is the real test.
London biotech Oyster harvests $60M for tau-targeting brain drugs ↗