ViaNautis Bio welcomes SCI Ventures as new investor, expanding CNS portfolio into spinal cord injury

• Investment supports application of ViaNautis’ polyNaut^® platform to regenerative therapies for spinal cord injury, where targeted delivery remains a huge barrier
• Adds a new high-value CNS indication and provides further validation of polyNaut^® as a versatile platform for precise, non-viral delivery of genetic medicines

CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Sept. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ViaNautis Bio ("ViaNautis"), the biotech developing polyNaut^® for precise, non‑viral delivery of genetic medicines, today announced that SCI Ventures, a specialist venture fund backed by leading clinical centres and research foundations worldwide focused on advancing treatments and cures for paralysis, has joined the company as a new investor. The investment expands ViaNautis' central nervous system (CNS) portfolio to include chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), an area of high unmet medical need where no regenerative therapies have yet been approved.

Globally, more than 20 million people are living with spinal cord injury, a condition associated with lifelong morbidity and lifetime costs that can exceed several million dollars per patient. Current treatment options are largely limited to rehabilitation and symptomatic management. While regenerative approaches are generating increasing momentum, delivering therapeutic payloads to the right cells at the site of injury remains one of the field's greatest challenges.

"Spinal cord injury is one of the clearest examples of a disease area where delivery remains a key limiting factor," said Adi Hoess, Chief Executive Officer of ViaNautis. "polyNaut^® was designed to precisely overcome these challenges by enabling targeted, non-viral systemic delivery of regenerative payloads to defined cell populations at or around the lesion site, while avoiding payload limitations and immunogenicity challenges associated with viral vectors. With the support of SCI Ventures, we are expanding our CNS portfolio into spinal cord injury and exploring how precise delivery can unlock new regenerative approaches for patients who continue to have very limited treatment options."

ViaNautis aims to address this challenge with polyNaut^®, its targeted polymer nanovesicles (tPNVs), which enable plug-and-play, nanobody-guided delivery of nucleic acid payloads to specific cells and tissues, including regenerative genetic payloads to cells at and around spinal cord lesions.

"We are seeing many promising scientific advances in the laboratory but translating these discoveries into meaningful therapies remains a major challenge," commented Adrien Cohen, Founding Managing Director of SCI Ventures. "What drew us to ViaNautis was the potential of its polyNaut^® platform and precise targeting capabilities to overcome one of the most significant hurdles in spinal cord injury: delivery. We are excited to support the company's expansion into this important indication."

The SCI programme builds on ViaNautis' broader CNS strategy and further demonstrates the versatility of the polyNaut^® platform across diseases where targeted delivery remains the key barrier to unlocking the potential of genetic medicines.

For more information, please contact:

Optimum Strategic Communications
Zoe Bolt, Eleanor Cooper, Henry Williams
Tel: +44 (0) 20 388 296 21
Email: ViaNautis@optimumcomms.com

About ViaNautis Bio
ViaNautis is revolutionising genetic medicine delivery with polyNaut^®, its targeted polymer nanovesicles (tPNVs) across multiple indications. polyNaut^® provides a versatile, plug-and-play solution for nanobody-based receptor-mediated delivery of DNA and mRNA to any cell type. By leveraging the broad applicability of tPNVs, ViaNautis is advancing a pipeline across CNS, immunology, oncology and respiratory diseases.

With polyNaut^®, ViaNautis has built a differentiated non-viral delivery platform – targeted, safe, convenient, redosable and scalable – that promises to widen the reach of genetic medicines to more people in need.

The Company is backed by blue-chip investors, including 4BIO Capital, BGF and UCB Ventures, and has strategic partnerships with Eli Lilly and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. For further information, please visit: https://vianautis.com/

About SCI Ventures
SCI Ventures is the world’s first mission-driven fund focused on neuro-restoration and paralysis. Backed by leading global foundations and advised by world-class neuroscientists, SCI Ventures aims to catalyze the development of the next generation of treatments with an emphasis on technology to restore function and cure-oriented therapies. SCI Ventures pairs capital with strategic support, clinical validation, and access to a global network of partners to de-risk innovation and accelerate patient impact. More information about SCI Ventures and its portfolio can be found at https://www.sciventures.com/