Alera Bio Announces Exclusive Licensing Agreement with BLA Technology to Expand Thyroid Hormone Intellectual Property Portfolio
Alera Bio has secured an exclusive global license from BLA Technology, LLC for thyroid hormone-related IP, strengthening its platform for MCT-8 deficiency. The deal expands Alera’s ability to target both neurological and systemic disease drivers, supports its lead program AB-101, reduces development risk, and enables future pipeline growth.
Chicago, IL, April 09, 2026 --(PR.com)-- Alera Bio, a rare-disease biotechnology company focused on rare and neglected neurological diseases, today announced it has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with BLA Technology, LLC for rights to intellectual property related to thyroid hormone biology, including hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alera Bio has secured an exclusive, worldwide sublicense to BLA Technology’s patented and proprietary technology, encompassing both patent rights and know-how, to support the development and commercialization of therapeutics for thyroid-related conditions. The agreement provides Alera Bio with broad rights across research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization, as well as the ability to sublicense the technology to strategic partners.
This transaction represents a significant milestone in Alera Bio’s strategy to expand and strengthen its intellectual property platform supporting the development of therapies for MCT-8 deficiency (Allan-Herndon-Dudley Syndrome). The licensed portfolio enhances Alera’s ability to address the complex endocrine and metabolic components of the disease and reinforces the company’s multi-mechanism approach.
“Securing these rights is a critical step in building a comprehensive intellectual property platform around MCT-8 deficiency,” said Frank Jaeger, Founder and Chairman of Alera Bio. “While our mission remains firmly focused on rare disease, this agreement expands the scientific and IP foundation underlying our approach. It strengthens our ability to develop differentiated therapies that address both the neurological and systemic aspects of the disease.”
MCT-8 deficiency is an ultra-rare genetic disorder that disrupts thyroid hormone transport into the brain, resulting in severe neurodevelopmental impairment and systemic thyroid imbalance. Alera Bio’s lead program, AB-101, is designed to restore thyroid hormone signaling while addressing downstream metabolic and neurodevelopmental deficits.
The licensed portfolio includes intellectual property related to thyroid hormone modulation and associated metabolic pathways. These mechanisms are directly relevant to the biological processes disrupted in MCT-8 deficiency and further reinforce Alera Bio’s strategy of targeting both central nervous system and peripheral disease drivers through a unified therapeutic approach.
Importantly, this agreement enhances Alera Bio’s overall intellectual property position by expanding coverage across thyroid-related pathways, reducing potential development risk, and creating additional opportunities for lifecycle management and future pipeline expansion within rare disease.
“BLA Technology is pleased to partner with Alera Bio on this important expansion of their intellectual property platform,” said Cassius Coleman, Managing Member of BLA Technology, LLC. “Alera Bio has demonstrated a clear commitment to advancing therapies for MCT-8 deficiency, and we believe this agreement strengthens their ability to fully realize that vision. We are excited to support the continued development of this important work.”
As part of the agreement, Alera Bio will assume responsibility for development and commercialization activities and will apply commercially reasonable efforts to advance licensed products toward market. The agreement also provides flexibility for sublicensing, enabling future strategic partnerships aligned with Alera Bio’s development strategy.
“This agreement reinforces our position as a rare disease-focused company while expanding the platform that supports our lead program,” Jaeger added. “We are building not just a single asset, but a durable foundation to address one of the most challenging pediatric neurological disorders.”
About Alera Bio
Alera Bio is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to developing transformative therapies for rare and neglected neurological diseases. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, the company is focused on advancing innovative treatments that address both neurological and systemic aspects of disease biology.
Its lead program, AB-101, is a novel combination therapy designed to restore thyroid hormone signaling in the brain independent of the MCT-8 transporter, while also addressing downstream metabolic and neurodevelopmental deficits. The therapy is intended to improve cognition, motor function, and overall systemic health in children affected by MCT-8 deficiency (Allan-Herndon-Dudley Syndrome), a devastating rare disease with no approved therapies.
Alera Bio is building a broader intellectual property platform in thyroid hormone biology to support and strengthen its rare disease programs, with a focus on addressing the complex interplay between endocrine and neurological pathways.
Guided by a patient-first strategy, Alera Bio combines cutting-edge science with a focused and capital-efficient development model to accelerate therapies to patients with urgent unmet needs.
At Alera Bio, the mission is clear: Biology drives us. Patients define us.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the development of therapeutic programs, planned preclinical and clinical activities, and the potential impact of the company’s intellectual property portfolio. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Alera Bio undertakes no obligation to update these statements except as required by law.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alera Bio has secured an exclusive, worldwide sublicense to BLA Technology’s patented and proprietary technology, encompassing both patent rights and know-how, to support the development and commercialization of therapeutics for thyroid-related conditions. The agreement provides Alera Bio with broad rights across research, development, manufacturing, and commercialization, as well as the ability to sublicense the technology to strategic partners.
This transaction represents a significant milestone in Alera Bio’s strategy to expand and strengthen its intellectual property platform supporting the development of therapies for MCT-8 deficiency (Allan-Herndon-Dudley Syndrome). The licensed portfolio enhances Alera’s ability to address the complex endocrine and metabolic components of the disease and reinforces the company’s multi-mechanism approach.
“Securing these rights is a critical step in building a comprehensive intellectual property platform around MCT-8 deficiency,” said Frank Jaeger, Founder and Chairman of Alera Bio. “While our mission remains firmly focused on rare disease, this agreement expands the scientific and IP foundation underlying our approach. It strengthens our ability to develop differentiated therapies that address both the neurological and systemic aspects of the disease.”
MCT-8 deficiency is an ultra-rare genetic disorder that disrupts thyroid hormone transport into the brain, resulting in severe neurodevelopmental impairment and systemic thyroid imbalance. Alera Bio’s lead program, AB-101, is designed to restore thyroid hormone signaling while addressing downstream metabolic and neurodevelopmental deficits.
The licensed portfolio includes intellectual property related to thyroid hormone modulation and associated metabolic pathways. These mechanisms are directly relevant to the biological processes disrupted in MCT-8 deficiency and further reinforce Alera Bio’s strategy of targeting both central nervous system and peripheral disease drivers through a unified therapeutic approach.
Importantly, this agreement enhances Alera Bio’s overall intellectual property position by expanding coverage across thyroid-related pathways, reducing potential development risk, and creating additional opportunities for lifecycle management and future pipeline expansion within rare disease.
“BLA Technology is pleased to partner with Alera Bio on this important expansion of their intellectual property platform,” said Cassius Coleman, Managing Member of BLA Technology, LLC. “Alera Bio has demonstrated a clear commitment to advancing therapies for MCT-8 deficiency, and we believe this agreement strengthens their ability to fully realize that vision. We are excited to support the continued development of this important work.”
As part of the agreement, Alera Bio will assume responsibility for development and commercialization activities and will apply commercially reasonable efforts to advance licensed products toward market. The agreement also provides flexibility for sublicensing, enabling future strategic partnerships aligned with Alera Bio’s development strategy.
“This agreement reinforces our position as a rare disease-focused company while expanding the platform that supports our lead program,” Jaeger added. “We are building not just a single asset, but a durable foundation to address one of the most challenging pediatric neurological disorders.”
About Alera Bio
Alera Bio is a privately held biotechnology company dedicated to developing transformative therapies for rare and neglected neurological diseases. Headquartered in Chicago, IL, the company is focused on advancing innovative treatments that address both neurological and systemic aspects of disease biology.
Its lead program, AB-101, is a novel combination therapy designed to restore thyroid hormone signaling in the brain independent of the MCT-8 transporter, while also addressing downstream metabolic and neurodevelopmental deficits. The therapy is intended to improve cognition, motor function, and overall systemic health in children affected by MCT-8 deficiency (Allan-Herndon-Dudley Syndrome), a devastating rare disease with no approved therapies.
Alera Bio is building a broader intellectual property platform in thyroid hormone biology to support and strengthen its rare disease programs, with a focus on addressing the complex interplay between endocrine and neurological pathways.
Guided by a patient-first strategy, Alera Bio combines cutting-edge science with a focused and capital-efficient development model to accelerate therapies to patients with urgent unmet needs.
At Alera Bio, the mission is clear: Biology drives us. Patients define us.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the development of therapeutic programs, planned preclinical and clinical activities, and the potential impact of the company’s intellectual property portfolio. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. Alera Bio undertakes no obligation to update these statements except as required by law.
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Alera Bio
Caitlin Murray
844-257-2246
alerabio.com
Caitlin Murray
844-257-2246
alerabio.com
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