Funding will support ongoing clinical development of optogenetic therapy to restore vision.
Ray Therapeutics, a leading optogenetics company, announced today the appointment of Christopher Whitmore as Chief Financial Officer.
Top-tier syndicate led by Novo Holdings A/S and joined by Deerfield Management, Norwest Venture Partners, Platanus, MRL Ventures Fund, the therapeutics-focused corporate venture fund of Merck & Co., Inc., and existing investor, 4BIO Capital.
Funds will advance Ray Therapeutics’ optogenetics gene therapy programs for blinding retinal diseases.
April 11, 2023 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ray Therapeutics, a biotech company developing optogenetic gene therapies for patients with blinding diseases, announced today that Peter Francis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, will present at two upcoming scientific conferences: the 2023 Cell & Gene Meeting on the Med and the Eighth Annual Retinal Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Summit (held during the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting).
“We’re delighted to present our data which shows the power of visual optogenetics as a disruptive technology with the potential to restore vision to many patients with retinal blindness”
“We’re delighted to present our data which shows the power of visual optogenetics as a disruptive technology with the potential to restore vision to many patients with retinal blindness,” said Peter Francis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, Ray Therapeutics. “Our team has bioengineered a highly sensitive optogenetic protein, ChRown, which is sensitive enough to be active in ambient lighting conditions without the use of light-intensifying goggles. Our lead candidate, RTx-015 for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, is expected to begin first-in-human clinical trials by the end of this year.”
The presentation details are as follows:
Event: 2023 Cell & Gene Meeting on the Med
Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Time: 9.30 am
Location: Hotel Arts Barcelona, Marina 19-21, Barcelona, Spain
Virtual attendance is available which includes a livestream of the presentation and the ability to view all conference sessions on-demand. Please visit https://meetingonthemed.com for full information including registration.
Event: Eighth Annual Retinal Cell and Gene Therapy Innovation Summit
Date: Friday, April 21, 2023
Time: 10.30 am
Location: Marriott New Orleans Warehouse Arts District, New Orleans, LA
Meeting Website: https://give.fightingblindness.org/event/retinal-cell-and-gene-therapy-innovation-summit-2023/e454383.
About Ray Therapeutics
Ray Therapeutics is developing novel optogenetics gene therapies for patients with blinding diseases. The company is developing its lead candidate RTx-015 in retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative retinal disease with significant unmet medical need. The company’s mission is to use optogenetics to restore vision, independent of genetic mutation for patients with inherited retinal diseases. Ray Therapeutics is based in San Francisco, CA. For additional information, visit www.raytherapeutics.com.
Contacts
Media
Kimberly Ha
KKH Advisors
917-291-5744
kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com
Building on AAV manufacturing partnership with new plasmid production, Forge’s end-to-end manufacturing services will help to advance Ray Therapeutics’ gene therapy for patients living with retinitis pigmentosa and other blinding diseases.
September 06, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ray Therapeutics, a biotech company whose mission is to restore vision to patients with blinding eye diseases, today announced the appointment of Peter Francis, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Scientific & Medical Officer, and Jenny Holt as Senior Vice President, Program Portfolio Management.
Dr. Francis is a world-renowned clinician scientist and a leader in gene therapy drug development. He was previously Chief Medical Officer of RetroSense Therapeutics, where he spearheaded the world’s first optogenetics program into clinical trials, positioning the company for acquisition by Allergan. Dr. Francis was also CSO/CMO at 4D Molecular Therapeutics, a leading gene therapy company, where he advanced multiple programs into the clinic
Jenny Holt joins Ray Therapeutics as SVP, Program Portfolio Management with more than 25 years of experience in gene therapy, working at Gladstone Institute, Onyx, Novartis, and was a Co-Founder of Ignite Immunotherapy. Prior to joining Ray Therapeutics, Jenny was VP & Head of Program Management at 4D Molecular Therapeutics, where she drove gene therapy product development across multiple therapeutic areas, including ophthalmology
“I am delighted to join Ray Therapeutics. We are developing the next generation of precision optogenetics therapies that have an enormous potential to reverse blindness. I am honored to be presenting our nonclinical data for the first time at the upcoming Cell and Gene Therapy Meeting on the Mesa on October 12,” said Peter Francis, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific & Medical Officer, Ray Therapeutics
“I am excited to welcome Jenny and Peter to Ray Therapeutics’ executive management team. Their track record of success positions us at the forefront of ocular gene therapy innovation,” said Paul Bresge, CEO & Co-Founder, Ray Therapeutics
Ray Therapeutics will be presenting at the Cell and Gene Therapy Meeting on the Mesa on October 12, 2022, at 1 PM Pacific Time. For more information, visit https://meetingonthemesa.com
About Ray Therapeutics
Ray Therapeutics is a preclinical biotechnology company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. Our mission is to restore vision to patients with retinal degenerations of the eye. Our lead product is a next generation optogenetics gene therapy for retinitis pigmentosa, inherited retinal degeneration and AMD. For additional information, visit www.raytherapeutics.com
Media
Kimberly Ha
KKH Advisors
917-291-5744
kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com
– Funding will Advance Development of Ray Therapeutics’ Optogenetics Technology Platform – Company will Advance Ray-001 for the Treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa –
Posted on by Forge Biologics
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA AND COLUMBUS, OHIO March 1, 2022 – Ray Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing optogenetic gene therapies for patients with retinal degenerative conditions, and Forge Biologics, a gene therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing organization, announced a manufacturing partnership that will advance Ray Therapeutics’ lead optogenetics gene therapy program, Ray-001, into clinical trials for patients with retinitis pigmentosa.
Forge will provide adeno-associated viral (AAV) process development, scale-up engineering and cGMP manufacturing services for Ray Therapeutics’ program, Ray-001. The program will utilize Forge’s platform process including its proprietary HEK 293 suspension Ingition Cells™ and pEMBR™ adenovirus helper plasmid. All development and cGMP manufacturing activities will occur at The Hearth, Forge’s 200,000 ft2 gene therapy cGMP production facility in Columbus, Ohio.
“We have set up Forge to provide end-to-end gene therapy manufacturing services to enable support for clients striving to make significant improvements in patients’ lives,” said Timothy J. Miller, Ph.D., CEO, President, and Co-Founder of Forge. “We look forward to helping Ray Therapeutics advance their AAV manufacturing with an eye towards restoring vision in patients with ophthalmology disorders.”
Ray-001 is intended for use in treating patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Optogenetics is a promising approach that has the potential to restore useful vision to visually-impaired and blind individuals. Patients with RP have damaged photoreceptors, the primary cells required for vision, which are lost and cannot regenerate. However, inner retinal neurons downstream to photoreceptors, especially retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), persist in significant numbers through late-stage disease. Ray Therapeutics’ lead candidate Ray-001 uses intravitreal administration, from which the vector diffuses into the retina and transduces primarily the RGCs.
“Ray-001 is a ground-breaking new approach to treat inherited retinal diseases using the power of optogenetics, and working together with Forge, we are one step closer to restoring vision in patients who are going blind,” said Paul Bresge, CEO of Ray Therapeutics.
About Retinitis Pigmentosa
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), is a heterogeneous group of genetic diseases that cause retinal degeneration leading to near or complete blindness for most patients. The severe loss of photoreceptor cells that occurs in this genetic degenerative disease leads to partial or complete blindness. At present, no effective treatment is available to restore vision once the photoreceptor cells have been lost. Over 100 genetic mutations are known to cause RP and all types of inheritance patterns are recognized. Patients are typically diagnosed in their late teens, with symptoms including night blindness, reduced visual fields and eventual loss of visual acuity. As the disease progresses, retinal atrophy, and permanent loss of the light sensitive photoreceptors occur. The prevalence of RP is approximately 100,000 persons affected in the US.
About Ray Therapeutics
Ray Therapeutics is developing novel optogenetics gene therapies for patients with blinding diseases. The company is developing its lead candidate Ray-001 in retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative retinal disease with significant unmet medical need. The company’s mission is to use optogenetics to restore vision, independent of genetic mutation for patients with inherited retinal diseases. Ray Therapeutics is based in San Diego, CA. For additional information, please visit www.raytherapeutics.com.
About Forge Biologics
Forge Biologics is a hybrid gene therapy contract manufacturing and clinical-stage therapeutics development company. Forge’s mission is to enable access to life changing gene therapies and help bring them from idea to reality. Forge has a 200,000+ square foot facility in Columbus, Ohio, The Hearth, to serve as its headquarters. The Hearth is a custom-designed cGMP facility dedicated to AAV vector manufacturing and will host end-to-end manufacturing services to accelerate gene therapy programs from preclinical through clinical and commercial stage manufacturing. By taking a patients-first approach, Forge aims to accelerate the timelines of these transformative medicines for those who need them the most. To learn more, visit www.forgebiologics.com
Media Inquiries—Forge Biologics
Marina Corleto
Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications
media@forgebiologics.com
Media Inquiries—Ray Therapeutics
Kimberly Ha
KKH Advisors
kimberly.ha@kkhadvisors.com
Client Development
John Maslowski, M.S.
Chief Commercial Officer
CD@forgebiologics.com
Top-tier advanced therapies investor 4BIO Capital led the financing round.
The financing will be used to advance its lead optogenetics gene therapy Ray-001 into clinical trials for retinitis pigmentosa.
