LENZ Therapeutics is a late-stage clinical biopharmaceutical company developing aceclidine-based eye drops LNZ100 and LNZ101 to correct loss of near vision associated with presbyopia. Both lead programs are designed as once-daily topical drops; LNZ101 combines aceclidine with brimonidine. The company reported positive Phase 2 INSIGHT topline data showing statistically significant three-line or greater improvement in near visual acuity up to 10 hours, maintained average pupil size of 1.5–2 mm, good tolerability, and no serious drug-related adverse events. LENZ initiated its Phase 3 CLARITY program (three parallel U.S. trials) in December 2022 to evaluate safety and efficacy with a primary endpoint of percentage of patients gaining three lines of near vision without losing one line of distance vision. The company is headquartered in San Diego and is advancing toward potential approval and commercialization pending Phase 3 results. LENZ recently completed a significant Series B financing to support these programs. LENZ Therapeutics is a late clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing aceclidine-based eye drops LNZ100 and LNZ101 to treat presbyopia. Its lead programs produce a pinhole miosis effect (1.5–2 mm pupil) that improves near vision while avoiding myopic shift, with clinical data showing at least seven hours of effect, no loss and a slight trend toward net gain in best-corrected distance vision, and good tolerability. LENZ is conducting an INSIGHT trial as a confirmatory lead-in to a planned Phase 3 in the second half of 2022. The company is headquartered in San Diego and is backed by blue-chip venture investors. Financially, LENZ has entered a Greater China licensing agreement and will receive $15 million upfront, potential milestone payments up to $95 million, and future royalties. In addition, RTW Investments will invest $10 million in LENZ, supporting its continued development and commercialization plans. LENZ Therapeutics is developing a proprietary eye-drop formulation of aceclidine as a potential best-in-class therapy for presbyopia. The lead program is a late clinical-stage candidate that met primary endpoints in a 58-patient Phase II trial, showing rapid and durable near-vision improvements (53% of patients had three lines or more improvement within 30 minutes; 81% had two lines or more) with effects measured up to seven hours. The formulation produced a pinhole pupil effect (1.5–2 mm) without inducing a myopic shift and showed no loss in distance vision; it was well tolerated with no serious adverse events. Aceclidine is an NCE in the U.S. with an established safety profile from prior use in Europe for glaucoma. The company plans to use proceeds from its Series A to advance aceclidine toward an NDA submission and to build a broader ophthalmology pipeline. LENZ Therapeutics is headquartered in San Diego and emerged from stealth to announce the financing.

Total raised

$141M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Mar 2023