Claris Bio Advances Corneal Healing Product Candidate; Secures New Funding
Claris Bio unveiled the company and its lead program with a total of $57 million invested. Claris, initially funded in 2020, is developing recombinant human variant hepatocyte growth factor, dHGF, to accelerate and improve the quality of corneal healing in patients with corneal eye disease.
Its lead program, CSB-001 Ophthalmic Solution 0.1% (oremepermin-α), brings a topical ocular biologic solution of dHGF, a molecule with the potential to restore structural and functional corneal integrity, to eyes with neurotrophic keratopathy (NK). Oremepermin-α is epitheliotropic, neurotrophic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic, suggesting it could be an efficacious and safe option to treat many current unmet needs in diseases of the cornea, according to Claris. The company expects to complete enrollment in its late-stage multicenter, randomized, double-masked, vehicle-controlled, parallel-group study, with a data readout expected in 1H2024.
The $57 million funding comes from Series A investors Novo Holdings A/S, RA Capital and Mass General Brigham Ventures, and recent investor, Janus Henderson Investors.
Beyond NK, Claris’ strategy is to create a pipeline by developing oremepermin-α across multiple ophthalmic diseases, expanding the patient population that can benefit from its activity. Additional indications of interest being actively pursued by Claris, supported by preclinical and clinical data, include limbal stem cell deficiency and pre-existing corneal scar. Future potential indications include corneal injury, corneal ulcers, chemical burns, and persistent epithelial defects.
“Our vision is to lead the way in corneal therapy by developing oremepermin-α into a pipeline that addresses the high unmet need in corneal disease. We are honored to have such a strong group of investors, as we approach a pivotal inflection point in our company’s growth,” Claris Bio Founding CEO Clarke Atwell said in a company news releaes. “Topical oremepermin-α therapy has the potential to significantly impact several significant conditions of the cornea, with the potential to improve patients’ lives.“
In addition to Mr. Atwell, the Claris leadership team includes CMO Susan Orr, OD; and Chief Business Officer Henry Rath. Scientific cofounders include Reza Dana, MD, MSc, MPH; and Sunil Chauhan, DVM, PhD, both from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear and the Harvard Medical School Department of Ophthalmology.