Seinda Pharma Secures Tens of Millions in Pre-A Funding to Advance Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics for Ocular Diseases

EyEco Health, September 23—Recently, Shengyuan Medicine, an integrated ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment platform, announced the completion of its Pre-A financing round, raising tens of millions of yuan. The investment was jointly made by Qirong Venture Capital, Xieyao Capital, and Baifu Health, with Haoyue Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor. The funds raised in this round will be primarily used for the preclinical development of dry eye disease therapeutics and the market promotion of innovative ophthalmic point-of-care testing (POCT) products.

Shengyuan Medicine, established in 2015 and located on Guangzhou International Bio Island, specializes in the research and development of ophthalmic diagnostic products and therapeutic drugs. Its core team comprises multiple industry elites from internationally renowned ophthalmic pharmaceutical companies such as Pfizer, Alcon, and EyeCRO, covering the entire industry chain including target discovery, new drug R&D, clinical development, and marketing. The company is already equipped with R&D capabilities and GMP-compliant production facilities.

From an overall market perspective, ophthalmology has become a hotspot in the biotechnology sector in recent years, with enormous market potential. From 2013 to 2017, the size of China's ophthalmology market grew from RMB 46.77 billion to RMB 86.7 billion in 2017, achieving a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17%. However, there is still significant room for improvement and development in existing ophthalmic technologies and treatment methods in China compared to international standards.

Shengyuan Medicine leverages biomarkers to bridge pathological mechanisms and therapeutic targets for the development of innovative ophthalmic drugs. Meanwhile, it establishes in vitro objective testing and molecular subtyping for eye diseases to guide the clinical development and application of new drugs, thereby breaking through the current reliance on optometric and imaging equipment in ophthalmic diagnosis and treatment at the level of pathological mechanisms, and willPrecision MedicineIntroduction to Ophthalmology.

In terms of pharmaceuticals, Shengyuan Medicine focuses on product development targeting the mechanisms of ocular diseases and rapidly achieves clinical translation, significantly reducing R&D cycles and costs. In configuring its product pipeline, Shengyuan Medicine prioritizes drug projects for refractive errors and anterior segment diseases, which feature simple and convenient administration routes and low clinical translation risks. Leveraging biomarker research, the company has built a portfolio of product candidates through a combination of in-house development and licensing-in. Its first new drug is an eye drop formulation for the treatment of dry eye disease.

It is reported that the mechanism of action of Shengyuan Medicine’s SY-201 eye drops differs from that of existing dry eye treatments. It can effectively enhance the repair of ocular surface epithelial tissue, inhibit damage and cell death induced by dry eye disease, and stimulate epithelial cell proliferation. Currently, substantial data from animal models and investigator-initiated clinical studies are available, demonstrating that the product features rapid onset of action, favorable safety profile, and high response rate. The 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway can be leveraged to accelerate its clinical development.

Another key focus of Shengyuan Medicine is ophthalmic POCT products. For ophthalmic POCT products, identifying and validating the association between biomarkers and diseases requires big data, long-term accumulation, and strong interpretation capabilities and experience in bioinformatics and systems biology.

Leveraging years of biomarker research, extensive industry experience, and a robust R&D capability, Shengyuan Medicine has become the first company in China to develop an independently originated rapid tear testing product. Its α-lymphotoxin in vitro rapid immunoassay (LTα-POC) consists of a micro-volume tear collector, an LTA reagent card, and a compact analyzer, featuring quantification, rapidity, and ease of use.

Currently, the LTA detection reagent has completed prospective controlled clinical trials involving over 1,000 cases of dry eye and non-dry eye at multiple centers, including the Xiamen Eye Center of Xiamen University, the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University, the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, and West China Hospital of Sichuan University. These studies have verified that the LTA detection reagent possesses high clinical diagnostic value and can be used as an adjunct for the clinical diagnosis of dry eye.

Regarding this financing round, Dr. Huang Jingfeng, Founder and CEO of Shengyuan Medicine, stated that the ophthalmology sector holds immense market potential, with substantial unmet needs in both diagnosis and treatment. Leveraging its research and accumulation in biomarkers, the company has rapidly established an integrated layout in diagnostic and therapeutic drugs. Meanwhile, its first-generation diagnostic product has obtained registration approval, and a marketing team composed of leading figures in academic promotion within China’s ophthalmology community has been assembled.

This article is sourced from Yiou, an original piece by author Qi Yeqing. For reprints or collaborations, please click here.Reprint Notice, Unauthorized reposting will be subject to legal liability.