Unfolding Cure for Patients

Taking on Neurodegenerative Diseases

Founder and CEO

Keizo Koya, Ph.D

A seasoned international biotech entrepreneur and drug R&D leader, founder and CEO of SOLA, with a distinguished track record as CEO of Strategia and VITRAC, and former Senior Vice President at Synta Pharmaceuticals, as well as Vice President at leading Japan-based pharmaceutical companies in the US.

Founder and CSF

Akinori Hishiya, Ph.D

Accomplished molecular biologist and scientific innovator with over 20 years of expertise in protein folding and protein-misfolding diseases. Inventor of the company’s targeted chaperone technology, advancing first-in-class therapeutic strategies to address disorders driven by protein misfolding.

About Company

Who We Are

SOLA Biosciences (Boston, USA) and SOLA Biosciences JAPAN (Tokyo, Japan) are preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical companies dedicated to developing transformative gene therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Huntington’s Disease (HD), and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

Harnessing our proprietary JUMP70 platform, we aim to restore protein homeostasis by targeting the root cause of these disorders—misfolded proteins—with the goal of delivering first-in-class, disease-modifying treatments to patients worldwide.

SOLA USA (Boston)

SOLA Japan (Tokyo)

Our Journey

2003–2012:

Foundations of Breakthrough

2003: Dr. Akinori Hishiya begins pioneering research on protein folding and chaperone engineering.
2010: Dr. Keizo Koya and Dr. Hishiya meet at a scientific conference and initiate the JUMP70 research program in Cambridge, MA.
2011: In-house screening identifies the first protein-folding activation domain.
2012: The first fusion protein—later named JUMP70 protein—is successfully designed and validated.

2013-2020:

SOLA Biosciences is Born

2014: A novel class of fusion proteins—cell-associated, secretion-enhancing fusion proteins—is developed and patented.
2016: SOLA Biosciences is established with headquarters and lab facilities in Natick, MA.
2017: Research is published in Nature Scientific Reports and featured in GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News).
2018: Initiated development of JUMP70-based therapies targeting Huntington’s Disease (HD), ALS, Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
2019: Pipeline candidates established: SOL-175 (HD), SOL-257 (ALS), SOL-368 (PD), and SOL-410 (AD).
2020: Achieved first in vivo efficacy data for SOL-257. Formed collaborations with the ALS Association and CHDI Foundation.

2021-2026:

Advancing Towards the Clinic

2021: Secured initial seed funding from two corporate venture arms of Japanese pharmaceutical companies: Mitsubishi Tanabe and Eisai.
2022: Achieved preclinical proof-of-concept for SOL-257.
2023: UTEC, a leading Japanese VC, joins. SOL-257 preclinical data presented at ALS One and NEALS conferences.
2024: Curie Bio partners with SOLA to accelerate the JUMP70 platform and development of SOL-257 as a gene therapy for ALS.
2025–2026: Established SOLA Biosciences Japan in Tokyo to lead global development of SOL-257 and expand collaborative R&D efforts globally.

Our Investors

Backed by leading investors who share our vision for transformative therapies.

“We are a venture capital firm that helps founders discover and developimportant new medicines.”

“We create new industries to solve global
issues of humankind by bringing capital,
talent, and knowledge,
around science and technology.”

“Helping entrepreneurs
build tomorrow’s life
science companies.”

“Contributing to human health care by prioritizing disease prevention, prediction, and treatment through global investments and research collaboration.”

We have a variety of private investors in SOLA Bio.

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