Rejuveron Life Sciences AG, a Zürich-based biotechnology company developing technologies for healthy aging, announced that it has strengthened its support to a near-majority holding in Endogena Therapeutics Inc., an endogenous regenerative therapeutics company. Rejuveron has funded a further $20m in the $29 million series A financing round to enable Endogena to progress treatments targeting degenerative diseases of the eye.
In January, Rejuveron already provided $4.75 million as part of Endogena’s $8m series A-1 financing round and is the largest shareholder in Endogena, alongside major investor DEFTA Partners.
The new funding will enable Endogena to progress its lead program, EA-2353, a photoreceptor regeneration treatment for retinitis pigmentosa (RP) through first-in-human trials in the USA and to advance EA-2351, a treatment for geographic atrophy (GA) to IND.
Subject to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its IND application, Endogena’s lead program, EA-2353, will enter first-in-human trials in the first half of 2022. In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted orphan drug designation for EA-2353 which provides benefits including market exclusivity once approved, exemption of FDA application fees, and tax credits for qualified clinical trials.
EA-2353 is an endogenous photoreceptor regeneration treatment for RP that works by selective regulation of the endogenous adult stem- and progenitor cells for controlled tissue repair.
RP is a group of inherited diseases causing slow and progressive retinal degeneration and loss of vision, for which there is currently no cure for the majority of patients. It is the leading cause of inherited blindness, with an estimated 1.5 million people worldwide presently affected. Endogena’s novel, small-molecule approach is gene-independent, which has significant advantages in this condition that has multiple genetic causes. It leverages an artificial intelligence-driven drug discovery platform and has the potential to become a paradigm shift in treating degenerative conditions related to aging and genetic disorders.