Breye Therapeutics Secures $73M to Revolutionize Eye Disease Treatment

Jan de Vries · 2026-10-02

Imagine a world where treating a debilitating eye disease doesn't mean getting injections directly into your eyeball. That's the future Breye Therapeutics is working toward. This Danish biopharmaceutical company just raised a whopping €67.5 million (about $73 million) in Series A funding to develop oral therapies for retinal diseases. And that's a big deal. ### What's the Big News? Breye Therapeutics, founded in 2019, is developing oral drugs for early-stage retinal diseases like diabetic retinopathy. The company emerged from stealth in November 2022 with a €4 million seed round. Now, with this oversubscribed Series A round, they're ready to take their lead candidate, danegaptide, to the next level. The funding 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. As part of the financing, Robert Blazej from Mission BioCapital and Lukas Ljungström from the Ljungström family office will join Breye's board. ### Why Diabetic Retinopathy Matters Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults, affecting about 130 million people worldwide. The current market for diabetic retinopathy treatments is valued at nearly $10 billion and could double in the next decade. But existing treatments often involve injections into the eye, which are uncomfortable and have low adherence rates. Plus, options for early-stage non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) are limited. Breye's oral therapy, danegaptide, aims to change that. It's a first-in-class small molecule that stabilizes retinal blood vessels and protects against leakage caused by high blood sugar. In a Phase 1b trial last year, danegaptide was well-tolerated and showed early signs of reducing vascular leakage. > "This €67.5 million Series A financing reflects the strong confidence in Breye's vision, strategy, and pipeline," said Ulrik Mouritzen, CEO of Breye Therapeutics. "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." ### What's Next for Breye? With this funding, Breye plans to move danegaptide into further clinical trials. The company is also developing oral therapies for other eye diseases like intermediate age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma. If successful, these treatments could offer a more convenient and patient-friendly alternative to current options. - **Oral delivery**: No more eye injections. - **Early intervention**: Potential to treat before vision loss occurs. - **Large market**: Growing patient population and increasing demand. Breye's approach has attracted top-tier investors, and their recent publication in Science Translational Medicine adds scientific credibility. The company is positioning itself as a leader in retinal disease therapies, and this funding round is a major step forward. For those in the biotech and investment world, Breye is one to watch. Their innovative approach could transform how we treat retinal diseases, making a real difference for millions of patients. And that's something worth keeping an eye on.