BIOPHTA raises 6.5 million Euros Seed Funding to transition its New Standard of Care for Eye Diseases to the Clinical stage
Summary
This funding round was led by leading European VCs UI Investissement (via the Pertinence Invest 2 Fund, advised by M\xe9rieux Equity Partners), Elaia and GO Capital as well as one major ophthalmology player, Unither Pharmaceuticals and HTL Biotechnology, the global leader in production and development of pharma grade biopolymers.With a first program in the treatment of Glaucoma (Phase 1 in 2025, $8.7 billion market) and a second program in Macular Edema (Phase 1 in 2026, $9.6 billion market), BIOPHTA is currently targeting the two leading causes of blindness.Compliance is the #1 unmet medical need in ophthalmologyEach year, approximately 1.3 million people worldwide become blind and another 36 million become severely visually impaired. Once applied, BIOPHTAs ophthalmic insert transforms into a hydrogel pellet that stays in place on the eye without moving, and delivers a continuous and controlled low dose of drug for 7 days. They will play a critical role in our development.The consortium of VCs with UI Investissement (via the Pertinence Invest 2 Fund, advised by M\xe9rieux Equity Partners), Elaia and GO Capital, commented: "The technology developed by BIOPHTA is truly a game changer for the millions of patients worldwide who struggle with inadequate treatments for their eye diseases. With 2,200 employees and eight manufacturing plants across France, the United States, Brazil and China, Unither Pharmaceuticals reported sales of 475 million in 2023.HTL Biotechnology is a French biotech and world leader in the development and responsible biomanufacturing of pharmaceutical-grade biopolymers. For over 30 years, HTL Biotechnology has been a driving force behind innovation in the sector, collaborating with research entities and biotech companies to meet tomorrows medical needs (regenerative medicine, drug delivery, etc.).