Cirrus Therapeutics Secures $11M Seed Funding to Advance Novel Gene Therapy for Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration

October 2,Cambridge, MA – Cirrus Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on ocular immunology, announced the completion of an $11 million seed funding round.WheelFinancing to advance its gene and cell therapies aimed at improving quality of life and extending ocular healthspan for patients with chronic blinding diseases. This round of financing was led by ClavystBio, with participation from Polaris Partners and SEEDS.ClavystBio is a life sciences investor and venture builder established by Temasek, aimed at accelerating the commercialization of transformative ideas into health impacts.

Cirrus Therapeutics to Use Seed Financing Proceeds to Advance its Lead Program into IND-Enabling Studies. This novel AAV ocular gene therapy is designed to reverse the root cause of the recently discovered and validated dry age-related macular degeneration (dAMD): the loss of IRAK-M, a key immune-modulating protein expressed in retinal cells.

AMD is the leading cause of vision loss in people aged 50 and older, affecting more than 200 million people worldwide. With the global aging population, this number is expected to surge to 288 million by 2040. A progressive eye disease, it damages the macula, the central part of the retina responsible for sharp, detailed vision. It often begins with poor low-light vision and mild blurriness, then gradually progresses to a central blind spot, making it impossible to read, drive, recognize faces, or perform daily tasks that define independent living.

Professor Andrew Dick, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Cirrus Therapeutics, Head of the Ophthalmology Academic Unit at the University of Bristol, and Duke Elder Chair and Director of the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London (UCL), stated:"The currently approved treatments for dry AMD and the majority of the therapeutic pipeline target a single disease-related pathway, primarily the complement cascade. However, to date, existing approaches have not demonstrated functional benefits. Supplementing IRAK-M expression offers an exciting opportunity to target a potential driver of retinal degeneration—aging itself—halting the multi-pathway activity leading to AMD and preventing or reversing vision loss."

In June 2024, Cirrus Therapeutics, the University of Bristol, and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology published groundbreaking research in *Science Translational Medicine*, identifying IRAK-M as a key regulator of ocular health and a novel therapeutic target for dAMD. IRAK-M is primarily expressed in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, maintaining immune homeostasis in the retina. Levels of this protein naturally decline with age, with a more pronounced reduction in patients with dry AMD, leaving the retina vulnerable to chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, thereby contributing to the onset and progression of dry AMD. In preclinical models, restoring IRAK-M to normal levels significantly prevented retinal degeneration.

Ying-Kai Chan, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder of Cirrus Therapeutics, said:"We are delighted to have the support of our steadfast consortium of investors as we strive to provide a safe, effective, and lasting treatment for this disease that robs millions of people of their vision, independence, and quality of life as they age. By pairing the disease-modifying IRAK-M target with a modality capable of delivering a one-time treatment, our goal is to protect and preserve vision. This not only represents a significant medical advancement in addressing a highly prevalent blinding disease but also heralds a paradigm shift in the application of gene therapies, where approved products have so far been limited to rare monogenic disorders."

Dr. Khoo Shih, CEO of ClavystBio, stated:"Cirrus' bold approach focuses on pioneering novel yet well-validated biology from human genetics and aging data to create a transformative impact on dAMD, a disease with highly unmet needs. At ClavystBio, we are committed to supporting Cirrus and its talented founders, Kai and Andrew, in advancing this critical therapy into the clinic and building its early pipeline."

Ocular diseases present particularly compelling applications for gene therapy. The lasting and sustained effects of a one-time treatment for dAMD stand in stark contrast to the continuous (monthly or bi-monthly) intravitreal injections required by currently approved therapies. Given the small size of the eye, only a very low dose of treatment is needed, offering advantages from both manufacturing and cost perspectives, making large-scale population deployment feasible. The eye is also a closed, immune-privileged compartment, which can reduce off-target effects and immunogenicity—challenges typically associated with systemic applications.