Claris Bio lands $118M Series B to push eye drug into pivotal trials

What's the deal? Claris Biotherapeutics, a New Jersey biotech, has netted $118 million in a Series B round, the company said on July 28, 2026. Samsara BioCapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Catalio Capital ManagementDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → co-led the round, joined by Sofinnova InvestmentsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Novo HoldingsDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and others. The raise takes Claris past $170 million in total funding and arrives alongside a leadership shake-up.

The science. Claris is chasing what it hopes will be the first drug therapy for limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), a blinding condition in which the eye's limbal stem cells are too damaged or depleted to repair the cornea's outer layer. Some estimates put U.S. diagnoses at 30,000-plus, and Claris believes the true number is more than double that. No medicines are specifically approved for LSCD today. Its candidate, CSB-001, targets hepatocyte growth factor and was discovered by Japan's Kringle Pharma; Claris licensed the eye-disease rights in 2020 and emerged from stealth in 2024 with a $57 million round to test it in neurotrophic keratitis before pivoting to LSCD.

New management. The company appointed Stephen Brady — former CEO of Tempest Therapeutics — as chief executive, named AbivaxDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → CEO Marc de Garidel as board chair, and brought on Brian Baum, formerly of DompéDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, as chief commercial officer. Proof-of-concept LSCD data are expected later in 2026, with pivotal testing set to begin early the following year; Brady said the company is also weighing a possible run at the public markets.

The signal: The raise ranks in the 94th percentile among Series B rounds over the trailing 48 months, out of a sample of 5,702 deals — a sizeable bet as the biotech recovery gathers speed. Comparable rounds in July 2026 include Crystalys Therapeutics, which secured $130 million to take a gout drug to market.

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