Perceive Bio Raises $78 Million Series B

<p><strong><span class&equals;"legendSpanClass"><span class&equals;"xn-location">SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO<&sol;span><&sol;span><&sol;strong> &&num;8212&semi; Perceive Biotherapeutics&comma; a biotech company pioneering novel technologies and therapeutics in ophthalmology&comma; has closed a <span class&equals;"xn-money">&dollar;78 million<&sol;span> Series B funding round led by Johnson &amp&semi; Johnson Innovation – JJDC&comma; Inc&period;&lpar;JJDC&rpar;&comma; joining existing Series A investor Deerfield Management and new investors  Braidwell LP&comma; the Retinal Degeneration Fund&comma; and Catalio Capital Management&comma; LP&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Perceive Biotherapeutics is focused on the discovery and development of transformative gene therapies and other therapeutics for ocular diseases with high unmet need&period; By leveraging deep genetic understandings&comma; Perceive Bio researchers have elucidated key protective biological targets&period; These targets uniquely position the Company to accelerate the development of best-in-class therapies for programs that address over 50&percnt; of currently untreatable retinal blindness&period; Perceive Bio is advancing therapeutic programs in geographic atrophy &sol; age-related macular degeneration&comma; glaucoma&comma; and additional undisclosed disease areas&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;We are pleased to have the strong support of this syndicate to build on the company&&num;8217&semi;s success to date and provide the resources for Perceive Bio to meaningfully advance its pipeline to key inflection points&comma;&&num;8221&semi; said <span class&equals;"xn-person">Cameron Wheeler<&sol;span>&comma; Partner&comma; Deerfield Management&period; &&num;8220&semi;Perceive Bio has a unique understanding of the key targets that protect retinal cells&period; This understanding supports a deep pipeline of differentiated assets with the potential to prevent blindness in millions of patients for whom effective therapies are not yet available&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Each member of our team has contributed deeply to advancing the science of retinal blindness and has contributed to bringing forward the programs into development and clinical trials&period;  This fundraising not only provides capital but allows us to welcome additional expertise to Perceive Bio&comma; joining our original partner Deerfield who supported the critical early stages of our development&comma;&&num;8221&semi; said K&period; <span class&equals;"xn-person">Angela Macfarlane<&sol;span>&comma; CEO of Perceive Biotherapeutics&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;