On October 8, 2024, MARAbio Systems, Inc., a precision immunology company whose mission is to detect, treat, and prevent Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism, announced that it has closed $19 million in Series A financing. The round, which was led by investment management firm MAK Capital One, LLC, is open to new investors through year-end 2024. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised MARAbio on intellectual property matters related to the transaction.

Maternal Autoantibody Related Autism (MARA) is a biological subtype of autism caused by the presence of a pattern of distinct autoantibodies in a mother. The discovery of MARA represents a major scientific breakthrough in the earlier and pre-symptomatic detection of autism in a child. Shown to be associated with more severe or profound forms of autism, MARA is estimated to comprise approximately 20 percent of all individuals with autism. MARAbio's breakthrough science enables earlier behavioral intervention and treatment for children with autism, the benefits of which have been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies.

The Wilson Sonsini team that advised MARAbio on IP matters related to the financing included Ingo Hardt, Matt Wheeler, Brett Zirkle, and Laurence Chen.

For more information, please see MARAbio’s news release. Additional coverage is available in Fierce Biotech.