Tenpoint Therapeutics – a biotechnology company pursuing vision-restoring engineered cell-based therapeutics and in vivo reprogramming to address degenerative ocular diseases – recently announced its launch with a $70 million Series A financing to develop its regenerative medicine platform to replace multiple cell types lost to inherited and age-related conditions. The Series A funding round included new investment from British Patient Capital and funding from all seed investors, including F-Prime Capital, Sofinnova Partners, Qiming Venture Partners USA, Eight Roads and the UCL Technology Fund among others. F-Prime and Sofinnova Partners were the founding investors who supported the company’s early operational development and technology expansion.
The company was established based on the pioneering work of its scientific founders from Moorfields Eye Hospital, University College London Institute of Ophthalmology, Institut de la Vision in Paris, and the University of Washington, who have developed engineered cell-based therapeutics and performed translational research to establish proof-of-concept.
Based on these achievements, Tenpoint is advancing approaches to generate specialized ocular cell types both ex vivo and in vivo.
Tenpoint is headed by experts in both regenerative medicine and ophthalmology. As CEO, Eddy Anglade, MD, brings decades of experience in clinical development in ophthalmic diseases with significant unmet needs. Tenpoint’s founding CEO Vanessa King, Ph.D. led this financing of the company and will continue to support the organization as a strategic advisor.
The company previously named ophthalmology innovator David Guyer, MD, to chair its board. Dr. Guyer currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of EyeBio and previously as Executive Chairman of IVERIC bio, a company he co-founded under Ophthotech. As co-founder, CEO, and director of Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, he oversaw the development and commercialization of Macugen® (pegaptanib sodium), the first anti-VEGF pharmacological treatment approved by the FDA for treatment of wet AMD.
KEY QUOTES:
“Cell-based therapeutics represent an ideal modality for degenerative ocular diseases since most vision loss results from damaged or missing tissue. In recent years, a number of new technological advancements have converged to make this modality both clinically viable and scalable. At Tenpoint, we are focused exclusively on the eye and on harnessing recent advances in regenerative biology to advance our therapies as we work to change the future for people with vision loss by addressing its underlying causes.”
— Eddy Anglade, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Tenpoint
“Tenpoint has great potential to lead ophthalmology into a new era which will fully replace cells lost to degenerative conditions rather than merely endeavoring to slow the processes that drive vision loss. This offers the potential for more complete restoration of sight and for curative treatments able to eliminate the underlying cause of disease.”
— Dr. Guyer
“Tenpoint’s mission is a global one. We are delighted to have provided international company creation support to launch such a visionary company.”
— Alex Pasteur, PhD, Partner at F-Prime Capital
“As one of the company’s seed investors, we are pleased to have played a founding role in developing Tenpoint from its inception. Tenpoint stands out in the realm of regenerative medicine, with an innovative approach that could ultimately provide a transformative cure to many causes of blindness for millions of patients around the world.”
— Graziano Seghezzi, PhD, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners
