SonoThera announced it will officially launch a $125 million Series B funding round at the 44th annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, scheduled for January 12–15, 2026, as the company looks to advance multiple genetic medicine programs toward first-in-human studies.
The South San Francisco-based biotechnology company is developing nonviral genetic medicines using its proprietary RIPPLE technology, which leverages ultrasound-mediated delivery to achieve broad yet targeted distribution of genetic payloads. SonoThera said the approach is designed to deliver diverse payload types without size restrictions and to support redosing, durability, tolerability, clinical translation, and commercial scalability.
Since 2022, the company has optimized the platform across multiple non-human primate target organs and generated preclinical data for muscle and kidney applications. Reported milestones include full-length human dystrophin protein expression in non-human primate skeletal muscle reaching up to 290% of normal levels, restoration of muscle strength to wild-type levels within six weeks in Duchenne muscular dystrophy rodent models following delivery of a full-length dystrophin DNA payload, and delivery of DNA payloads to kidney cell types relevant to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and X-linked Alport syndrome in non-human primates. SonoThera also said it has expanded the platform to enable targeted siRNA-mediated knockdown in muscle, adipose, and kidney across rodent and non-human primate models.
SonoThera said it is targeting early 2027 to begin Phase 1 human clinical trials and expects the financing to support the advancement of multiple clinical programs and a steady cadence of data through 2028. The company was founded by Kenneth Greenberg, Michael Davidson, and Steve Feinstein.
KEY QUOTE:
“As we accelerate our pipeline, we continue to demonstrate UMD’s ability to safely and efficiently deliver oversized genetic payloads—unlocking some of the largest opportunities in genetic medicine. Our Series B will advance multiple clinical programs and support a steady cadence of data through 2028.”
Ken Greenberg, PhD, CEO, SonoThera
