Beacon Therapeutics Announces Closing of Oversubscribed Series C Financing for Over $75 Million
- Round led by new investor Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives with participation by new investor the Retinal Degeneration Fund, and supported by existing investors
- Funds will advance laru-zova toward commercialization for treatment of X-linked retinitis pigmentosa and accelerate development of additional pipeline candidates
LONDON and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beacon Therapeutics Holdings Limited (‘Beacon Therapeutics' or ‘the Company'), a leading clinical-stage biotechnology company with a mission to save and restore vision in people with rare and prevalent ocular diseases, today announced that it has raised over $75 million in an oversubscribed Series C financing led by Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives and with participation from the Retinal Degeneration Fund (RD Fund), the venture arm of Foundation Fighting Blindness. Beacon's existing investors, Syncona Limited, Forbion, Oxford Science Enterprises, and Advent Life Sciences, also participated in the round.
"This significant fundraising, led by new blue-chip investor Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, validates our strategy to save and restore sight for people living with rare and prevalent ocular diseases," said Lance Baldo, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Therapeutics. "With pivotal laru-zova data expected in the second half of 2026, these funds will accelerate our commercial preparations for this potentially life-changing product, as well as advance and expand our pipeline. We thank our new and existing investors for their confidence in our mission to deliver lasting impact in blinding ocular diseases."
Beacon Therapeutics also appointed Colin Walsh, PhD, Managing Director, Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, to its Board of Directors.
"We are excited to work with Beacon Therapeutics at this critical time to support the development of laru-zova as a potential game-changing ocular gene therapy," added Colin Walsh, PhD, Managing Director, Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives. "Beacon has deep experience in gene therapy and its application in ocular disease. With laru-zova's advancement through pivotal trials and the Company's expanding pipeline, the Company is setting the roadmap for how to build successful gene therapies and bring transformative treatments to patients with X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP)."
"RP affects over 100,000 patients in the US, with 14% of those estimated to have XLRP. With no available treatment options, halting XLRP progression and restoring patients' vision would represent a life-changing breakthrough. We are proud to support Beacon as it approaches the pivotal VISTA trial readout of laru-zova later this year," commented Rusty Kelley, PhD, MBA, Managing Director of the RD Fund.
The new funds will be used to complete the development of lead program, laru-zova, a potential best-in-class gene therapy currently being investigated for the treatment of patients with XLRP, and progress commercialization plans. The funds will also be used to help support the development of Beacon's pipeline candidates for geographic atrophy, as well as an inherited cone rod dystrophy, and another undisclosed asset.
44th Annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference presentation
The Company will present at the 44th Annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference being held January 12-15, 2026, in San Francisco, US.
The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, January 13th at 2:30 PM PT.
About Beacon Therapeutics
Beacon Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to saving and restoring sight for people living with rare and prevalent ocular diseases. The Company is harnessing the transformative power of gene therapy to deliver the most meaningful outcomes for severe ocular diseases. Beacon's pipeline currently targets devastating blinding retinal diseases such as X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) and geographic atrophy.
Beacon Therapeutics' investors include Advent Life Sciences, Forbion, Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Oxford Science Enterprises, Retinal Degeneration Fund, Syncona Limited, and TCGX, among others. Learn more about Beacon Therapeutics at beacontx.com and follow on LinkedIn for more updates.
About Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives
Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) is one of the leading investors in alternatives globally, with over $500 billion in assets and more than 30 years of experience. The business invests in the full spectrum of alternatives including private equity, growth equity, private credit, real estate, infrastructure, sustainability, and hedge funds. Clients access these solutions through direct strategies, customized partnerships, and open-architecture programs.
The business is driven by a focus on partnership and shared success with its clients, seeking to deliver long-term investment performance drawing on its global network and deep expertise across industries and markets.
Life Sciences at Goldman Sachs Alternatives was established in 2021 and focuses on later-stage venture investments, targeting therapeutic companies in early clinical development with multi-asset portfolios. The Life Sciences team bring decades of experience investing in the sector and leverage the expansive resources of the Goldman Sachs platform to source differentiated investments and partner with companies to enhance value creation.
The alternative investments platform is part of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which delivers investment and advisory services across public and private markets for the world's leading institutions, financial advisors and individuals. Goldman Sachs has approximately $3.5 trillion in assets under supervision globally as of September 30, 2025.
About Retinal Degeneration Fund
The Retinal Degeneration Fund (RD Fund) is a mission-driven venture fund established by the Foundation Fighting Blindness to invest in companies developing innovative therapies for inherited retinal diseases and dry age-related macular degeneration. The RD Fund was designed to bridge the funding gap between discovery research and confirmatory clinical trials. For more information, visit www.RDFund.org.
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