Vima Therapeutics Announces First Dystonia Patient Dosed in Phase 2 Study and Extension of Series A to $100 Million to Advance Potential First-in-Class Oral Therapy for Dystonia and Parkinson’s Disease

• New $40 million raise brings Series A total to $100M, enabling advancement of VIM0423, a first-in-class oral therapeutic, into Phase 2 trials for isolated dystonia and for Parkinson’s disease
  
  
• First person has been dosed in Stride Dystonia trial, and Company expects Parkinson’s disease trial initiation this year, with topline data expected from both Phase 2 trials in the first half of 2027
  
  
• Phase 1 data in healthy volunteers and dystonia patients showed VIM0423 was safe and well-tolerated up to and exceeding target doses over 28 days
  
  

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vima Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on oral therapies for movement disorders, today announced the first person dosed in a Phase 2 clinical trial in isolated dystonia with VIM0423, a potential first-in-class oral therapy, and the extension of its Series A financing to $100M. The round included participation from new investor Frazier Life Sciences (FLS) and existing investors Atlas Venture, Access Industries, and Canaan Partners. Joe Cabral, Partner at FLS, will join Vima’s Board of Directors. The financing will enable the company to complete two Phase 2 trials with VIM0423 for isolated dystonia and Parkinson’s disease. The company expects to initiate a Phase 2 trial in Parkinson’s disease in mid-2026, with topline data from both trials anticipated in the first half of 2027.

The completed two-part Phase 1 study of VIM0423 was designed to assess pharmacokinetics, safety, tolerability, and dose titration in both healthy volunteers and individuals living with dystonia. Across single- and multiple-dose cohorts, VIM0423 had a favorable safety profile and was well-tolerated up to and above target doses over 28 days. The study achieved and exceeded target exposure levels with VIM0423, demonstrating its potential to address the underlying cause of dystonia, supporting advancement into Phase 2 development.

“As a neurologist, I have treated people with dystonia and Parkinson’s disease. I have seen the gaps and limitations of the current treatments in addressing important symptoms that affect daily function. Our recent Phase 1 data give us confidence that VIM0423 may address those needs for people living with movement disorders,” said Bernard Ravina, MD, MS, founder and chief executive officer of Vima. “Dystonia and Parkinson’s share underlying disease biology driven by an imbalance in dopamine and acetylcholine signaling in the brain, and our results reinforce that we are on the right path to modulate this biology. With this compelling foundation and our exceptional team, we are well positioned to advance VIM0423 into Phase 2 studies and develop a potential first-in-class oral medicine that’s designed to help patients regain control of their movement.”

“This is exciting news for the dystonia population. An oral medication for the treatment of dystonia would be invaluable to patients and physicians alike,” said Cynthia L. Comella, MD, Professor of Neurology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Scientific Advisory Board member at Vima. “No injections, no brain surgery! This drug shows true potential in providing a new approach to dystonia and related movement disorders.”

What are dystonia and Parkinson’s disease, and how are they related?
Dystonia is a chronic, disabling neurological condition marked by involuntary muscle contractions in one or more parts of the body, and occurs across all ages. It shares overlapping clinical symptoms and underlying biology with other movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, which is a neurological condition that affects over 1 million people in the U.S. Both diseases are caused by an imbalance between dopamine and acetylcholine signaling in the brain, which is thought to lead to excessive cholinergic activity and signaling through muscarinic cholinergic receptors. This imbalance in motor signals leads to symptoms of dystonia and related movement disorders that impact patients’ lives.

What is VIM0423?
VIM0423 is a potential first-in-class once-daily oral treatment designed to selectively target muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the brain. Targeting these receptors is a proven mechanism in movement disorders, but current approaches are limited by central and peripheral tolerability issues. VIM0423 has been designed to maximize both efficacy and tolerability to deliver effective therapy for all dystonia patients. In collaboration with Children’s Mercy (CM), a nationally recognized, independent pediatric health system located in Kansas City, Missouri, Vima has an exclusive worldwide license from CM to methods and compositions of treating movement disorders with certain antimuscarinic compounds.

VIM0423 has been granted Fast Track designation by the FDA for the treatment of isolated dystonia and is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2 clinical trial. Isolated dystonia, where dystonia is the only neurological symptom, affects more than 160,000 adults and children in the U.S. For more information about VIM0423 in dystonia, visit the Stride Dystonia website or clinicaltrials.gov (NCT07304089).

About Vima Therapeutics
Vima Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new era in the treatment of movement disorders by advancing an oral therapy designed to help patients improve control of their movement by targeting the underlying cause of disease. Founded and incubated at Atlas Venture by physicians and scientists with deep expertise in movement disorders, Vima is advancing VIM0423 – a potential first-in-class investigational oral therapy – for the treatment of isolated dystonia and for Parkinson’s disease. Vima Therapeutics is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.vimatx.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

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