Danish Biotech Breye Therapeutics Secures $73M to Revolutionize Eye Disease Treatment

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-02

### A Major Boost for Eye Disease Treatment Breye Therapeutics, a Danish biopharmaceutical company, just raised €67.5 million (about $73 million) in an oversubscribed Series A round. That's a big deal for a company developing oral therapies for retinal diseases. The round was co-led by Mission BioCapital and Novo Holdings, with participation from Sound Bioventures, the Ljungström family office, Innovestor Life Science, EIFO, Catalyze Capital, Modi Ventures, and Pappas Capital. This funding will push their lead candidate, danegaptide, into the next phase of clinical trials. Danegaptide is a first-in-class oral treatment for diabetic retinopathy, a condition that affects millions worldwide. ### What’s the Big Idea? Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults, impacting about 130 million people globally. Current treatments often involve injections directly into the eye, which are uncomfortable and have low adherence. Breye is developing an oral pill that could be taken at home, potentially changing the game for early-stage patients. "This financing reflects the strong confidence in Breye’s vision and pipeline," said CEO Ulrik Mouritzen. "It enables us to advance danegaptide to the next stage of clinical development – bringing a much-needed patient-friendly treatment option closer to those living with this debilitating eye disease." ### The Science Behind Danegaptide Danegaptide is an oral small molecule that stabilizes retinal blood vessels, protecting against leakage caused by high blood sugar. In a Phase 1b trial last year, it was well tolerated and showed early signs of reducing vascular leakage – a core issue in diabetic retinopathy. Breye was founded in 2019 and emerged from stealth in 2022 with a €4 million seed round. The company is also working on treatments for age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. ### What’s Next? With this new funding, Breye plans to move danegaptide into later-stage trials. The market for diabetic retinopathy treatments is expected to grow from $10 billion to nearly double over the next decade, driven by a 6.5% annual growth rate. If successful, danegaptide could become a convenient, effective option for millions. > "Breye is emerging as a leader in the development of innovative retinal disease therapies," said Robert Blazej, Partner at Mission BioCapital. "We believe Breye is uniquely positioned to address this unmet need." The company’s progress will be one to watch, especially as it aims to bring a much-needed oral therapy to a market dominated by invasive injections.