A groundbreaking joint venture between gene therapy company MeiraGTx and artificial intelligence firm Hologen was announced on March 13, 2025, establishing a new startup focused on developing treatments for neurological conditions using AI technology.
The newly formed company, Hologen Neuro AI, will combine MeiraGTx’s gene therapy expertise with Hologen’s artificial intelligence capabilities to advance treatments for conditions including
Parkinson’s disease and obesity. The venture marks a significant intersection of AI and neuroscience in therapeutic development.
Under the agreement, MeiraGTx will contribute its advanced gene therapy programs, including a Parkinson’s disease treatment that has completed mid-stage clinical trials, along with early-stage therapies targeting obesity through brain appetite control mechanisms. Hologen will provide its proprietary AI models and $230 million in development funding.
The financial terms include a $200 million upfront payment to MeiraGTx and a 30% ownership stake in the joint venture. MeiraGTx will maintain responsibility for clinical development and manufacturing operations, serving as the exclusive provider of therapeutic products for both testing and commercial purposes.
Hologen’s team features notable technology industry veterans, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and QuantHouse co-founder Pierre-François Filet. The AI company will also acquire a minority position in MeiraGTx’s manufacturing division, where it will contribute funding and apply its AI platform to optimize production processes.
Alexandria Forbes, CEO and co-founder of MeiraGTx, described the deal as financially transformative for her company. The arrangement extends MeiraGTx’s financial runway and provides resources to accelerate development of additional programs, including a dry mouth treatment and protein production control technology.
The partnership has already demonstrated promise, with Hologen’s AI technology analyzing mid-stage trial data from the Parkinson’s therapy program. The companies report that this analysis has reduced program risks and identified disease-modifying changes in brain function resulting from the treatment.
Market response to the announcement was positive, with MeiraGTx’s stock price rising approximately 25% to $8 per share during late morning trading. The company’s shares have shown strong performance over the past six months, doubling in value.
This strategic collaboration comes at a crucial time for MeiraGTx, which reported a $164 million operating loss in 2024 and held $106 million in cash and equivalents at year’s end. The immediate priority will be enhancing the planned Phase 3 study of the Parkinson’s therapy, leveraging Hologen’s AI capabilities to improve trial design and execution.
The companies anticipate finalizing the deal between April and June 2025. The joint venture represents a novel approach to drug
development, combining traditional gene therapy expertise with cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology to potentially accelerate and improve the development of neurological treatments.
This partnership builds on MeiraGTx’s recent strategic moves, following earlier collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies. The company has been actively expanding its presence in the gene therapy space while seeking innovative ways to enhance its development capabilities.
Through this joint venture, both companies aim to revolutionize the discovery and development of therapies targeting central nervous system circuitry, potentially creating more effective treatments for patients with neurological conditions. The combination of MeiraGTx’s therapeutic expertise and Hologen’s AI capabilities could establish a new paradigm in neuroscience drug development.