Tenpoint Therapeutics 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 round included new investment from British Patient Capital as well as 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.
Tenpoint 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 foundational achievements, Tenpoint is advancing approaches to generate specialized ocular cell types both ex vivo and in vivo.
“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,” said Eddy Anglade, MD, CEO of Tenpoint. “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.”
Tenpoint is led by renowned 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. Vanessa King, PhD, Tenpoint’s founding CEO, led this financing of the company and will continue to support the organization as a strategic advisor.
Tenpoint previously named ophthalmology innovator David Guyer, MD, to chair its board. Dr. Guyer currently serves as CEO of EyeBio and previously served as Executive Chairman of IVERIC bio, a company he co-founded under the name 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.
“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,” said Dr. Guyer. “This offers the potential for more complete restoration of sight and for curative treatments able to eliminate the underlying cause of disease.”
“Tenpoint’s mission is a global one,” said Alex Pasteur, PhD, Partner at F-Prime Capital. “We are delighted to have provided international company creation support to launch such a visionary company.”
“As one of the company’s seed investors, we are pleased to have played a founding role in developing Tenpoint from its inception,” said Graziano Seghezzi, PhD, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners. “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.”
About Tenpoint Therapeutics
Tenpoint is a biotechnology company committed to advancing engineered cell-based therapies and in vivo reprogramming to restore vision for people with degenerative ocular diseases, bringing together the global experts who are shaping the regenerative ocular medicine revolution and the technologies that are driving it. We are addressing the ultimate cause of vision loss by replacing diseased cells with healthy ones to permanently restore vision. Tenpoint’s global team is united by our passion for science and our commitment to patients.