Ensoma launches with $70 million and Takeda partnership for gene therapies

Ensoma, a Boston-based gene therapy start-up, has launched with $70 million in series A financing. Ensoma is developing gene therapies that target hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which give rise to a variety of cells in the blood, including B and T cells and red blood cells. Whereas other groups remove HSCs from the body, edit them in the lab, and reinject them, Ensoma says its engineered adenoviruses can directly target HSCs in the body. Takeda Pharmaceutical also struck a partnership with Ensoma that could earn the start-up $100 million for preclinical research and $1.25 billion overall.