Cirrus Therapeutics has raised US$11 million in seed funding to advance its gene and cell therapy programs for eye diseases.

The funding round was led by ClavystBio, with participation from Polaris Partners and SEEDS.

The biotech firm, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will use the funds to progress its lead program, an adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy aimed at treating dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

AMD is a leading cause of vision loss for people over 50, with more than 200 million affected worldwide.

Cirrus said its therapy targets IRAK-M, a protein linked to retinal health, which drops with age and in dry AMD patients.

Preclinical research involving Cirrus and university partners reported that restoring IRAK-M in animal models protected against retinal degeneration.

Cirrus plans to move its lead program into preclinical studies required for regulatory approval.

🔗 Source: Cirrus Therapeutics