Cirrus Therapeutics Partners SERI, Duke-NUS For Eye Disease Therapies
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- Cirrus Therapeutics has announced a collaboration with Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) and Duke-NUS Medical School (Duke-NUS) to advance innovative ophthalmic technologies for the treatment of blinding diseases.
The company said it has expanded its investor syndicate, including Cedars Sinai Intellectual Property Company, bringing its total seed financing raised to US$14.7 million. (US$1=RM4.09)
Cirrus Therapeutics in a statement said these developments bolster its trajectory as a global ocular immunology company advancing first-in-class and best-in-class therapies to extend the ocular healthspan of patients with chronic blinding diseases.
Its Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Ying Kai Chan said the partnership with SERI and Duke-NUS reflects the company’s strategy of building an ocular immunology platform with global impact.
“We are also pleased to fortify our investor syndicate with new additions, including strategic investors such as Cedars Sinai Intellectual Property Company as we continue to progress our novel ocular gene and cell therapy candidates toward the clinic,” he added.
Cirrus said its lead programme is a novel ocular gene therapy designed to restore IRAK-M, with the aim of preventing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) progression and preserving central vision in patients with geographic atrophy (GA).
SERI, working closely with Duke-NUS’ Centre for Vision Research, conducts research focused on preventing blindness, low vision and major eye diseases affecting people in Singapore and across Asia.
The collaboration, which is supported by the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) and the National Health Innovation Centre Singapore (NHIC), is expected to accelerate the development of new therapies for serious retinal diseases.
Cirrus also noted that it established a research and development site in Singapore in March 2026, complementing its United Kingdom scientific base and United States infrastructure and strengthening its access to the Asia-Pacific biopharmaceutical market.
At the same time, the company announced a strategic partnership with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) to support the development of ophthalmic therapies.
-- BERNAMA