UAE's CE-Ventures Invests in UK Biotech's $60 Million Round

Sharjah-based CE-Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Crescent Enterprises, has invested in UK biotechnology company Oyster Therapeutics as part of a $60 million Series A funding round aimed at advancing experimental treatments for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. The round was led by 4BIO Capital, with participation from Eli Lilly and Company and other investors. CE-Ventures did not disclose its individual investment amount.

Headquartered in London and previously known as Kesmalea Therapeutics, Oyster develops therapies that target abnormal protein accumulation in the brain. Its lead programme focuses on tau, a protein whose abnormal accumulation is associated with Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders.

The funding will support the development of an oral treatment designed to enter the brain and selectively break down disease-associated tau proteins while preserving healthy forms. The company aims to advance the treatment towards clinical trials, although its effectiveness in patients has yet to be established.

Oyster is also developing SELFTAC, a technology platform that enables smaller molecular components to cross biological membranes before assembling into compounds capable of targeting unwanted proteins for degradation. The approach is intended to improve drug absorption and delivery to the central nervous system.

Alongside the financing, Oyster has entered a research agreement with Massachusetts General Hospital to access specialised expertise in tau biology, including patient-derived neuronal cells. The research will be supervised by Dr. Catarina Silva.