Tortugas Neuroscience, a neurology drug developer based in Framingham, Massachusetts, launched on April 21, 2026 with $106m in combined seed and Series A financing.
Cure Ventures, the company's founding investor, led the seed round and co-led the Series A with The Column Group and AN Venture Partners. The company did not say how the $106m was split between the two rounds and did not disclose a valuation.
The money will fund the company's research and development, including completing Phase 2 trials of its two lead drug candidates.
“We believe each of our programs are well-positioned for differentiation in the marketplace.”Jeff Jonas, M.D., CEO, Tortugas Neuroscience
What Tortugas Neuroscience does
Tortugas develops small-molecule drugs for disorders of the central nervous system. Rather than discovering its own compounds, it has licensed clinical-stage programmes from two Asian drugmakers: Eisai of Japan and Jiangsu Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group of China.
According to BioXconomy, the pipeline has four named programmes: TRTL-107 for schizophrenia, TRTL-913 for tinnitus, TRTL-729 for focal epilepsy and TRTL-118 for reversible encephalopathies. STAT reported that the schizophrenia and tinnitus drugs came from Hansoh and the focal epilepsy and encephalopathy medicines from Eisai.
All of the drugs are designed as once-daily oral pills, and the company said some could be tested in further indications. Chief executive Jeff Jonas told BioXconomy the company had reviewed about 120 central nervous system assets before choosing its programmes, and that it wanted a portfolio of independent mechanisms so that the molecules did not depend on one another.
The company describes its approach as developing medicines with de-risked mechanisms of action for large, well-defined patient groups. BioXconomy reported that one of the programmes is a PDE9 inhibitor, which Jonas said could be tested in several types of encephalopathy.
Who is behind it
Jonas, a physician, runs the company with Al Robichaud, its president and head of research and development. Both previously worked at Sage Therapeutics, according to the company's announcement.
Cure Ventures is a life sciences venture firm that focuses on forming new companies around new technologies. The Column Group and AN Venture Partners joined it as co-leads of the Series A. No other investors were named.
STAT said the deal showed drug developers turning to Chinese biotech for neuroscience assets, not only for obesity and cancer drugs.
Robichaud said in the announcement that the team was driven to improve treatment options for patients with central nervous system disorders, and thanked the company's investors for their support.
What the money is for
The company said the financing would pay for ongoing research and development, including Phase 2 trials of its two lead candidates. STAT reported that Tortugas planned to test the drugs in mid-stage trials in the United States.
Jonas told BioXconomy that the company's immediate focus was running those trials, and that it aimed to disclose some clinical data before the end of 2026. Over the longer term, he said, Tortugas wants to discover compounds of its own.
The company did not disclose the financial terms of its licensing deals with Eisai and Hansoh, the size of its team or its founding date.
Company website: tortugasneuro.com