Arialys: targeting autoantibodies for CNS diseases, including rare encephalitis

Incubated by Avalon and launched with $58 million, Arialys is preparing to start clinical studies of an antibody obtained from Astellas to treat neurological disorders caused by pathogenic autoantibodies in the CNS.

Avalon BioVentures’ Jay Lichter, who is president and CEO of Arialys Therapeutics Inc., told BioCentury that research over the past 10-15 years has clarified the link between autoantibodies in the brain and a rare form of encephalitis. Writer Susannah Cahalan described her experience with the disease, including misdiagnosis, in the 2012 bestseller Brain on Fire...