Optherion

About Optherion

Optherion, Inc. was a biotechnology firm established in 2005, focusing on the development of diagnostics and therapeutics for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other chronic diseases linked to the alternative complement system. The company was founded by a team that included Colin Foster, who served as President and CEO and was previously the CEO of Bayer Pharmaceuticals in the U.S.; scientific founder Dr. Gregory Hageman, a professor at the University of Iowa who co-discovered the genetic basis for the company's research; ophthalmologist Dr. Sandy Gordon; and life sciences advisory firm Scheer & Company.

The company's scientific foundation was built upon research from 2005 that identified genetic links between variations in Complement Factor H (CFH) and Complement Factor B (CFB) genes and a significantly higher risk of developing AMD. This discovery shaped Optherion's core strategy: to create both diagnostic tools to identify individuals with these genetic predispositions and to develop disease-modifying therapies to prevent vision loss, particularly in patients with dry AMD, the leading cause of blindness in people over 60 in developed nations. The intellectual property was based on discoveries from the University of Iowa, Yale University, and Rockefeller University.

Optherion's primary business was centered on biotechnology research and development. Its main product development effort was a recombinant form of the Complement Factor H protein, intended as a replacement therapy for patients carrying the high-risk gene mutation. This therapy was envisioned for systemic delivery through intravenous infusion, which held the potential to also address other related conditions like cardiovascular disease. The business model involved securing significant venture capital to fund long-term preclinical and clinical trials, with the goal of commercializing its therapeutic products and licensing its diagnostic tests. The company successfully raised $42 million over two Series A funding rounds in 2007 and 2009, with investors including Domain Associates, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, and Pappas Capital. While the company was eventually marked as deadpooled, its technology found other avenues; Sequenom marketed a predictive test based on Optherion's technology, and Baxter acquired rights to its therapeutic assets.