RevOpsis Therapeutics has closed on its first seed funding round of $16.5 million to promote the continued clinical development of its investigational lead candidate for neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).
Give me a refresh on the company.
Launched in 2018, RevOpsis is a privately-held, next-generation biopharmaceutical company developing multispecific antibody biologics to target multiple dominant biologic pathways in complex multifactorial ophthalmic diseases.
Chief among these:
- nAMD
- Dry AMD
- Diabetic macular edema (DME)
- Retinal vein occlusion (RVO)
- Uveitic macular edema
- Thyroid eye disease (TED)
Key to this: the company’s fully human, multispecific, proprietary Rev-Mod Platform
Explain what this platform is.
The Rev-Mod Platform utilizes a modular “plug-and-play” method to streamlining and expediting the “efficient discovery and development of multispecific biologics targeting a wide spectrum of chronic, prevalent, large diseases,” according to RevOpsis.
The technology features nearly 30 billion fully human antibody components in a structured phage display system of a library.
And its purpose?
Essentially, it’s designed to enable a rapid identification and assembly process of multispecific products.
How: by being compatibility so as to allow for the development of multispecific biologics that address unmet needs in major therapeutic areas:
- Ophthalmology
- Oncology
- Immune-mediated diseases
Gotcha. Now talk about this investigational candidate.
The company’s lead asset, RO-104 is a first-in-class, fully human modular tri-specific biologic that’s designed to address the three dominant angiogenic pathways that may cause retinal vascular disease (RVD) progression:
- Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A
- Protein that can promote angiogenesis, vascular permeability, cell migration, and gene expression
- VEGF-C
- Protein considered essential to the potential development of lymphatic vessels
- Angiopoietin (Ang)-2
- Protein expressed in endothelial cells for remodeling blood vessels and regulating blood vessel stability
And how is it unique from other anti-VEGF therapies?
Per RevOpsis, by the very fact that RO-104 is designed to target these three angiogenic pathways—unlike standard therapies that typically require repeat monthly injections and primarily only target the VEGF-A pathway to treat nAMD.
So why not just stick with targeting VEGF-A?
Based on prior research, when the VEG-A pathway is treated for nAMD (as with current therapies), both the VEG-C and Ang-2 become more active in RVDs, which then results in the possible need for either more frequent treatment or the efficacy of the therapy to diminish, according to the company.
Plus: only a reported less than 30% of patients with nAMD respond optimally to VEGF-A therapy.
Which means: RevOpsis hypothesized that “most patients with nAMD might benefit from a treatment that simultaneously targets” all three angiogenic pathways.
And the intended purpose of RO-104?
The candidate, which was developed using the Rev-Mod Platform, is designed to target and neutralize
all three of these pathways in order to provide “improved outcomes and extended disease remission” for nAMD patients.
- How: by binding to each pathway with a high, matched affinity, per RevOpsis.
- Note: The asset has reportedly demonstrated its intended efficacy via animal models.
Alrighty, so what exactly will this funding go toward?
The seed funding (which includes $7.5 million in non-dilutive capital) will be used to fund the company’s completion of its investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies for RO-104.
Plus: “The funds will be used to strengthen RevOpsis’ research capabilities to further develop a pipeline of first and best-in-class retinal treatments,” stated Interim CEO Ram Bhandrai, MD.
The ultimate goal: to secure FDA authorization and conduct the first-in-human (FIH) clinical trials on RO-104 for nAMD by 2025
And the significance of this asset?
RO-104 has the potential to be the first monotherapy for treating nAMD, representing a new therapeutic standard for RVDs.