Neoclease Wins Merck’s 2025 Biotech Grant for AI-Powered Gene Therapies Targeting Parkinson’s and Genetic Disorders

Neoclease Wins Merck’s 2025 Biotech Grant for AI-Powered Gene Therapies Targeting Parkinson’s and Genetic Disorders

(IN BRIEF) Merck has awarded its 2025 North American Advance Biotech Grant to Neoclease, a Boston-based startup developing AI-designed gene-editing therapies for Parkinson’s disease and other monogenic disorders. Neoclease will benefit from Merck’s technologies, contract testing, regulatory guidance, and hands-on training through its M Lab™ Collaboration Center and Emprove® program. This partnership aims to accelerate the development and scalability of Neoclease’s precision therapies. With over 40 global recipients since 2014, the Advance Biotech Grant highlights Merck’s ongoing commitment to supporting biotech innovation.

(PRESS RELEASE) DARMSTADT, 19-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Merck (DAX: MRK) has announced that Boston-based biotech startup Neoclease has been awarded the 2025 North American Advance Biotech Grant, recognizing its cutting-edge work in developing AI-driven gene-editing therapies. Neoclease is pioneering precision treatments aimed at slowing or stopping Parkinson’s disease progression—an area where no disease-modifying therapies currently exist.

The selected startup’s breakthrough platform blends generative AI with synthetic biology to engineer therapies that address the root causes of over 6,000 monogenic disorders. Neoclease’s lead therapeutic candidate, NCX-L2, is currently focused on Parkinson’s disease, with the broader platform demonstrating promise for a wide range of genetic illnesses.

“We are dedicated to empowering next-generation biotech firms that are creating transformative modalities,” stated Sebastian Arana, Head of Process Solutions within Merck’s Life Science division. “Neoclease’s AI-powered approach aligns with our mission to drive innovative treatments with fewer side effects and greater patient benefit. By offering our technologies, regulatory expertise, and process support, we hope to accelerate the impact of their groundbreaking work.”

Through the Advance Biotech Grant, Neoclease will gain access to Merck’s robust portfolio of products and contract testing services, along with expert guidance and training via the M Lab™ Collaboration Center and the Emprove® program. These platforms will help Neoclease scale its bioprocesses, optimize manufacturing, and navigate complex regulatory frameworks.

The M Lab™ Collaboration Centers provide immersive, hands-on support for biopharmaceutical development and process optimization, while Emprove® offers structured documentation and quality systems that ease compliance and risk management challenges.

Since the inception of the Advance Biotech Grant Program in 2014, Merck has supported more than 40 early-stage biotech firms worldwide across fields such as oncology, neurology, and cardiology. The program remains a cornerstone of Merck’s global commitment to fostering innovation in the life sciences, with upcoming grant announcements expected in Asia-Pacific this October and in EMEA this November.

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SOURCE: Merck KGaA