FELIQS Secures $9 Million Series A Funding to Advance FLQ-101 for Retinopathy of Prematurity

FELIQS Corporation, a biotechnology firm specializing in treatments for rare pediatric retinal diseases, has announced the completion of a $9 million Series A funding round. This financial boost, co-led by a major American pharmaceutical company and Beyond Next Ventures Inc., with contributions from the Japan Science and Technology Agency and existing investors, is set to propel the clinical development of FLQ-101. FLQ-101 is FELIQS's lead candidate aimed at preventing retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a condition that can lead to blindness in premature infants.

The funding will support the commencement of the Phase 1b/2 tROPhy-1 study in the United States in the summer of 2025. FLQ-101, which has received both Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), represents a promising avenue for treating ROP, a disease with limited treatment options. Dr. Ken-ichiro (Nobu) Kuninobu, Co-Founder and CEO of FELIQS, expressed gratitude for the investment, emphasizing its role in advancing the company's clinical study and expanding its pipeline for pediatric retinal diseases.

Proceeds from the Series A round will also be allocated to expanding FELIQS's operational and clinical development teams, accelerating key milestones in the U.S. clinical program, and enhancing collaborative research efforts in the U.S. This development marks a pivotal moment in FELIQS's mission to address the unmet medical needs of pediatric patients with retinal diseases.