Tavo Biotherapeutics announced the closing of a $17 million Series A financing round led by Pureos Bioventures, with participation from Polaris Partners and continued support from existing investor Tau Capital. The funding will be used to advance the company’s pipeline of innovative therapies targeting glaucoma and retinal disease.
Alongside the financing, Federico Grossi, M.D., Ph.D., was appointed Chief Medical Officer. Grossi will oversee the company’s clinical development strategy and execution. He previously served as Chief Medical Officer at Apellis Pharmaceuticals, where he led clinical development efforts for the FDA-approved therapies Syfovre and Empaveli.
The company also announced that Daniel Bradbury has joined its Board of Directors as Chairman. Bradbury brings more than four decades of life sciences leadership experience and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2012.
In conjunction with the financing, Dominik Escher, Ph.D., and Nil Gural, Ph.D., joined Tavo’s Board of Directors representing Pureos Bioventures and Polaris Partners, respectively, bringing expertise in company building, financing, and therapeutic development.
Tavo said the proceeds will support ongoing clinical and preclinical development activities for its lead programs, TAV-001 and TAV-002, while also expanding the company’s research capabilities as it works toward key clinical milestones.
TAV-001 is being developed as a potential disease-modifying topical therapy for glaucoma. The treatment utilizes a dual mechanism of action targeting the autonomic nervous system, which is believed to play a role in the inflammation and degeneration associated with glaucoma. The company expects the program to enter a Phase 2 clinical trial in the second half of 2026.
TAV-002 is a bispecific antibody designed to target both VEGF and a protein involved in upstream signaling pathways associated with serious retinal diseases. The program is being developed for conditions including wet and dry age-related macular degeneration as well as diabetes-related retinopathies.
Gary Berman, Chief Executive Officer of Tavo Biotherapeutics, said the financing will help accelerate development of the company’s ophthalmology programs and address significant unmet needs in glaucoma and retinal disease.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are thrilled to partner with Pureos and Polaris, and we are grateful for the continued support of Tau Capital. This financing enables us to accelerate the advancement of our programs in glaucoma and retinal disease, where there remains a critical need for new, more effective treatment options. We are also excited to welcome Fede to the team. His deep clinical and development experience will be invaluable as we advance our pipeline.”
Gary Berman, Chief Executive Officer, Tavo Biotherapeutics
“Tavo has built a compelling pipeline addressing major unmet needs in ophthalmology with differentiated science and a clear clinical development strategy. We believe these programs have the potential to bring much better treatment options to patients. We are excited to lead this financing and support Tavo through its next phase of growth.”
Dominik Escher, Board Member Representing Pureos Bioventures, Tavo Biotherapeutics
