Mirugen, a start-up founded at the Centre for Eye Research Australia, has received a $1.92M grant from CUREator+ – a national program funded by the Federal Government’s Medical Research Future Fund and delivered by Brandon BioCatalyst and ANDHealth.

The scheme aims to speed up the translation of innovative preclinical and early clinical research.

Mirugen is developing a treatment which harnesses the regenerative power of the retina’s own stem cells to prevent and reverse damage to the light sensing photoreceptors in the back of the eye.

More than 190 million people worldwide are living with conditions such as retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt’s disease and age-related macular degeneration – where faulty and damaged photoreceptors lead to vision loss and blindness.

Currently there are no effective treatments for most people with these conditions and no way of reversing vision loss – but the Mirugen team are developing an innovative new therapy which aims to ‘switch on sight’ by restoring lost photoreceptors.

The gene therapy treatment – which is being developed in preclinical studies – involves injecting engineered viruses into the eye to deliver reprograming genes into retinal cells. These genes will then stimulate the stem cells in the eye to develop into new photoreceptors that replace the damaged cells.

Mirugen co-founder Associate Professor Raymond Wong, who is Head of Cellular Reprogramming Research at CERA, said the team had achieved promising results in earlier preclinical studies.

“The CUREator + funding will enable my team to conduct essential pre-clinical experiments to accelerate the development of our new gene therapy candidate,” he said.

“Mirugen is on the cusp of translating our research into a possible therapy that could transform lives by restoring vision, so this funding comes at a crucial time as it will help us generate the data needed to attract the investors we need to help us progress into the clinic.”

“Our ultimate aim is to get our treatment to patients and create a brighter future for people living with incurable blindness.”

Mirugen will be based in CERA’s genetic engineering laboratories in a collaborative environment which includes vision researchers from the University of Melbourne, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and CERA’s clinical trials subsidiary, Cerulea Clinical Trials.

Media contact: Janine Sim-Jones, CERA, +61 420 886 511, jsimjones@cera.org.au

About CUREator

CUREator is a national biotechnology incubator by Brandon BioCatalyst that supports Australian biomedical research and innovation development. Funded by the Medical Research Future Fund and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, CUREator provides grant funding programs for opportunities spanning from discovery research to clinical development.
Funding is provided like an investor with clear milestone-driven tranches to achieve key value-adding and de-risking development milestones. CUREator works closely with project teams to guide them through the early development phases, offering scientific and commercial expertise and networks to support projects meeting key outcomes. https://brandonbiocatalyst.com/cureator/

About ANDHealth

ANDHealth is Australia’s only organisation specialising in commercialising evidence-based digital health technologies. We work with Australian digital health companies to commercialise and scale their clinical-grade technologies through the entire commercialisation pathway, from idea to exit.
ANDHealth’s investment readiness program suite and non-dilutive investment programs prepare companies for institutional investment and global enterprise customers and have been proven to positively impact both the number and maturity of companies in the Australian evidence-based digital and connected health sector. Since 2018, ANDHealth has supported over 900 high-growth-potential digital health companies across Australia and delivered over 2,400 hours of direct programming to over 1,680 participants. www.andhealth.com.au

About Brandon BioCatalyst and Brandon Capital

Brandon Capital is Australasia’s leading life science venture capital firm, with a solid global presence supported by key partnerships and team members across the US and UK. Brandon Capital supports life science companies from early-stage seed investment to expansion capital from proof-of-concept to commercialisation. Managed by Brandon Capital, Brandon BioCatalyst is a unique collaboration of over 50 leading medical research institutes, investors, and government united by a single purpose: progressing the next generation of medical therapies and technology that improve health and save lives.