Fundus photo of macular scarring with normal blood vessels and optic nerve
Gemini Therapeutics has closed a Series A round to advance its precision medicine therapy for dry age-related macular degeneration. The Cambridge, Massachusetts company zeroes in on genetic causes of the condition.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Atlas Venture, Lightstone Ventures and OrbiMed co-led the Series A, according to a news release. They also took part in the seed round last year.
James McLaughlin, Gemini Therapeutics cofounder and CEO, said that the company focuses on patients with a high genetic risk profile, according to the release.
“We assessed the functional implications of their underlying mutations. We then matched each molecular abnormality with an appropriate therapeutic candidate: a recombinant protein, a monoclonal antibody or a gene therapy.”
Age-related macular degeneration is the most common source of irreversible blindness, but there are two different kinds — dry and wet. Most AMD starts as the dry type but 10 percent to 15 percent experience the wet version of the disease, a more severe form of the condition. In these cases, abnormal blood vessels under the retina grow toward the macula, causing a loss of eyesight at the center of a patient’s field of vision.
The number of cases of the condition is expected to double from 48 million to 88 million in 2050, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control’s website. So it’s not surprising that several companies are going after this condition.
MacuLogix developed an FDA-cleared early detection tool AdaptDx, which measures dark adaption function. The test measures how the eye recovers after the stress of a mild photobleach.
SalutarisMD developed a targeted approach using radiation therapy —brachytherapy — for wet AMD. The treatment involves a surgeon delivering a fiber optic cable around the eye and to the back, where a radiation capsule will sit at the blood vessel lesion and deliver the requisite dosage.
Photo: Getty Images
