PulseSight Therapeutics Announces First Close of its Series A Financing to Fund Clinical Development of PST-611 in dry AMD
Summary
PARIS, Feb. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PulseSight Therapeutics SAS, an ophthalmology biotech company developing disruptive non-viral vectorized therapies with minimally-invasive delivery technology, today announces the first close of its Series A financing with existing investor Pureos BioVentures committing new funds to support the Phase I study of PST-611 and enable preparation for a Phase IIa clinical trial.PST-611 is a first in class non-viral vectorized therapy for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)/geographic atrophy (GA), expressing human transferrin, a highly potent iron regulator. AMDs pathogenesis is complex and involves the dysregulation of iron homeostasis, leading to an excess of free iron, which results in inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell death.PulseSight has already demonstrated the favorable safety profile of its innovative technology as well as biological activity in the clinic, with a previous clinical program in non-infectious uveitis.The planned PST-611-CT1 clinical trial aims at primarily confirming the favorable safety profile of PST-611 administration and is expected to start Q2 2025, subject to the regulatory greenlight, with readout anticipated end 2025/early 2026.The Series A financing remains open to new investors, to provide funds to support PST-611 Phase IIa clinical trial preparation and implementation, as well as the development of PulseSights wider portfolio of non-viral vectorized therapies including PST-809, a potential first-in-class therapy for wet AMD that comprises a dual-gene plasmid encoding for a potent anti-VEGF, together with decorin, an anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic native protein. This financing enables us to execute on our goal of confirming the safety of our drug candidate and to then rapidly move into a phase II proof-of-concept study, to demonstrate transferrins ability to protect retinal cells and preserve vision.Dirk Sauer, Chairman of the Board of PulseSight Therapeutics, said, I congratulate Judith and the team who have advanced PST-611 at pace during 2024 and welcome the continued support of Pureos BioVentures to advance our lead candidate. In all its forms, AMD represents a compelling unmet need for more effective and durable treatment options, with a large and growing market, estimated to reach $27.5 Billion by 2031.PulseSight is clinical-stage biotech company committed to developing disruptive non-viral vectorized therapies with minimally-invasive delivery technology to protect and improve the vision of patients with retinal disease with a focus on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) including wet AMD and geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to dry AMD.Already clinically validated for its safety and sustained activity, PulseSights technology platform delivers DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle using an electro-transfection system. The ciliary muscle cells act as biofactories, expressing therapeutic proteins that reach the retina with high distribution, providing a safe and long-lasting treatment for major eye diseases.