LAGUNA BEACH, Calif., June 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Tavo Biotherapeutics today announced the successful closing of a $17 million Series A financing led by Pureos Bioventures with participation by Polaris Partners and continued support from existing investor Tau Capital. The proceeds will be used to advance Tavo's pipeline of innovative therapies targeting glaucoma and retinal disease.
In conjunction with the financing, Tavo Biotherapeutics also announced the appointment of Federico Grossi, M.D., Ph.D., as Chief Medical Officer, to lead the company's clinical development strategy and execution. Previously, Dr. Grossi was Chief Medical Officer of Apellis Pharmaceuticals, where he led clinical development for two groundbreaking FDA-approved therapies: Syfovre for geographic atrophy and Empaveli for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).
In addition, Tavo announced that Daniel Bradbury has joined the Board of Directors as Chairman. Mr. Bradbury is a life sciences executive with over 40 years of experience creating and implementing strategies to bring novel medicines to market. Mr. Bradbury is the former Chief Executive Officer of Amylin Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company that launched three first-in-class medicines focused on metabolic diseases before its acquisition by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in 2012.
In conjunction with the financing, Dominik Escher, Ph.D. and Nil Gural, Ph.D., have joined Tavo's Board of Directors representing Pureos Bioventures and Polaris Partners, respectively, bringing deep expertise in company building, financing, and the development of innovative therapeutics.
"We are thrilled to partner with Pureos and Polaris, and we are grateful for the continued support of Tau Capital," said Gary Berman, Chief Executive Officer of Tavo Biotherapeutics. "This financing enables us to accelerate the advancement of our programs in glaucoma and retinal disease, where there remains a critical need for new, more effective treatment options. We are also excited to welcome Fede to the team. His deep clinical and development experience will be invaluable as we advance our pipeline."
"Tavo has built a compelling pipeline addressing major unmet needs in ophthalmology with differentiated science and a clear clinical development strategy," said Dominik Escher. "We believe these programs have the potential to bring much better treatment options to patients. We are excited to lead this financing and support Tavo through its next phase of growth."
The new capital will support ongoing clinical and preclinical development activities for TAV-001 and TAV-002, as well as expand Tavo's research capabilities as the company progresses toward key clinical milestones.
About Tavo Biotherapeutics
Tavo Biotherapeutics is focused on developing novel therapeutics aimed at addressing significant unmet medical needs in ophthalmology, with a particular emphasis on preserving vision and improving long-term outcomes for patients with glaucoma and retinal disease.
TAV-001 is being studied as a potential disease-modifying topical therapy for the treatment of glaucoma. TAV-001 utilizes a dual mode of action that targets the autonomic nervous system, which drives the mechanisms that cause inflammation and degeneration in glaucoma. The program is moving into a Phase 2 clinical trial in the second half of 2026.
TAV-002 is a bispecific antibody that targets both VEGF and a protein involved in upstream signaling in serious retinal diseases, including both wet and dry forms of age-related macular degeneration as well as diabetes-related retinopathies.
Media Contact:
Graham Cooper
graham@tavobio.com
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SOURCE Tavo Biotherapeutics
