Purespring Therapeutics Raises £80M to Advance Gene Therapy for Kidney Disease
October 9, 2024
Purespring Therapeutics, the Bristol-based clinical-stage gene therapy company, has raised £80 million to advance its novel kidney gene therapy pipeline. The round is led by Syncona Partners, the specialist life sciences investment company, with co-investment from British Patient Capital, Forbion Capital Partners, Gilde Healthcare Partners, and Sofinnova Partners.
Purespring was founded and is led by Professor Moin Saleem, a world-leading expert in kidney disease and consultant nephrologist at the University of Bristol. The company is built around a distinctive approach to gene therapy: rather than systemic delivery, Purespring delivers adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors directly to the kidney, seeking to correct the underlying genetic causes of debilitating kidney conditions at source.
Kidney diseases represent a significant global health burden, with an estimated 850 million people affected worldwide and few effective disease-modifying treatments available. Current standard-of-care largely manages symptoms, and many patients eventually progress to dialysis or transplantation. Purespring’s platform is designed to address conditions including Alport syndrome, FSGS, and other forms of hereditary nephropathy where a single genetic correction could transform disease trajectory.
Syncona, which has built a portfolio of leading UK cell and gene therapy companies including Autolus and Gyroscope Therapeutics, led the round with conviction in Purespring’s scientific foundation and clinical strategy. The £80 million raise is one of the largest UK gene therapy rounds of 2024, and will fund the company through clinical-stage development of its lead programme.
Professor Saleem has described the kidney as one of the last major organs to benefit from the gene therapy revolution, and Purespring as the company poised to change that.
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