Cirrus Therapeutics Raises $11 Million to Advance First-in-Class Gene Therapy for Dry AMD

Cirrus Therapeutics has secured $11 million in seed financing to accelerate the development of its gene and cell therapy pipeline, with a primary focus on advancing its lead program into IND-enabling studies. This funding represents a significant step forward in the company’s mission to address dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) through a novel therapeutic approach.

Targeting IRAK-M: A Novel Mechanism in Dry AMD Therapy Development

Cirrus Therapeutics' lead candidate is a first-in-class gene therapy built on an adeno-associated virus (AAV) platform designed to restore expression of IRAK-M, a newly validated immune regulator that declines with age and in patients with dry AMD. Unlike existing therapies that primarily target the complement cascade, with limited and inconsistent functional improvements, Cirrus’ strategy tackles a broader, aging-driven degeneration pathway by replenishing IRAK-M levels in the retina.

“Replenishing IRAK-M expression offers an exciting opportunity to target an underlying driver of retinal degeneration—aging itself—thwarting the multi-pathway activity that leads to AMD and preventing or reversing vision loss,” said Professor Andrew Dick, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Advisor of Cirrus Therapeutics, and Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Bristol and University College London.

Scientific Validation and Preclinical Results

In June 2024, Cirrus Therapeutics and academic collaborators from the University of Bristol and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology published landmark findings in Science Translational Medicine, identifying IRAK-M as a critical immune regulator in the retina. The study showed that IRAK-M, expressed in retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, plays a vital role in protecting against chronic inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress, key contributors to the onset of AMD.

Preclinical studies further demonstrated that restoring IRAK-M to normal physiological levels significantly preserved retinal structure and function, underscoring its potential as a therapeutic target for dry AMD.

Investor Support and Strategic Vision

The $11 million financing round was led by ClavystBio, a life sciences investment firm, with participation from Polaris Partners and SEEDS. The capital will support continued development of Cirrus’ lead gene therapy program and help prepare for future clinical trials.

Dr. Ying Kai Chan, CEO of Cirrus Therapeutics, emphasized the broader impact of the company’s approach:

“By pairing the disease-modifying IRAK-M target with a modality that would enable a one-time treatment, we aim to protect and preserve vision. This not only represents a major medical advance to address a highly prevalent blinding disease, but also heralds a paradigm shift for the application of gene therapy, for which approved products have been reserved for rare, monogenic diseases thus far.”