Coherence Neuro, a startup developing implantable devices to treat brain cancer, has raised $45 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Peter Thiel's Founders Fund and the OpenAI Startup Fund. Other participants included Lux Capital, Olive Capital, and 8VC. The company plans to use the proceeds to conduct its first chronic human trial of its lead product, SOMA, as a treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer with a grim prognosis.
In a post, Coherence explained that the funding will also support seeking FDA breakthrough device designation and expanding testing to other malignancies, such as pancreatic cancer. The company is also looking to grow its multidisciplinary team of operators and builders to achieve these goals.
Founded in 2022 by Elise Jenkins and Ben Woodington, Coherence focuses on leveraging technology and neuroscience to change how cancer is treated. Its SOMA implant, the size of a button, monitors electrical signals emitted by cancerous cells and delivers electrical signals to disrupt tumor development. The implant works with a removable wearable placed above the ear and an app that tracks symptoms, provides therapy history, and offers real-time patient data.
Several consenting patients have had the device implanted in their brains during surgery to remove glioblastoma tumors. These initial tests aim to establish the safety of the implants. The device was designed based on research showing that tumors have unique electrical signals and fields; by disrupting this activity, cancer development could be arrested before it becomes advanced.
If successful, the implants could change the outlook for glioblastoma patients, who currently face limited treatment options and poor survival rates. The news matters because it represents a novel approach to cancer treatment that, if validated, could offer a new tool in the fight against brain cancer and potentially other malignancies. As Coherence advances its R&D, other entities like CNS Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: CNSP) are also developing novel medications for brain cancers such as glioblastoma, highlighting a growing field of innovation.
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