Cyllene Therapeutics raises €33M Series C for HSV-1 gene therapy platform
What's the deal? Cyllene TherapeuticsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (formerly EG 427), a Paris-based biotech, has raised €33 million ($37.8 million) in a Series C round to advance its HERMES non-replicating HSV-1 gene therapy platform. The round was co-led by GordonMD Global InvestmentsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and M VenturesDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → (Merck KGaA's corporate venture capital arm), with existing investors Andera PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Bpifrance also participating.
What's the endgame? The company is building a gene-therapy platform modelled on Krystal Biotech, which pioneered HSV-based treatments. The lead candidate, EG110A, is in Phase 1/2 clinical trials for neurogenic detrusor overactivity (neurogenic bladder), with a Phase IIb/III study planned for 2027.
Why now? France has been trying to close a funding gap that often pushes promising gene-therapy assets toward US buyers. State support remains active — Vivet Therapeutics secured €4.9 million from the French government in early 2024 for its rare-disease program.
The signal: European rare-disease gene therapy is still being financed in staged, milestone-driven rounds rather than blockbuster raises. This deal is another sign that firms in the sector are leaning on a mix of venture capital and public money to scale beyond preclinical work.
Read more: Endpoints News
Image credit: U.S. Department of Energy
