With ~¥100M funding, Otovia aims to define clinical standards for gene therapy in otology

Recently, Suzhou Otovia Therapeutics Co., Ltd. ("Otovia") announced the completion of a new funding round raising nearly 100 million RMB in total. This round of financing saw investments from Nanjing Innovation Capital Group, Dingxin Capital, and others. Notably, Fosun Health Capital, which was Otovia's early-stage incubator, also increased its investment in this round.

The successful closure of this funding round signifies the capital market's high recognition of Otovia's core team, technology platform, product pipeline, and clinical development strategy.

The proceeds will be primarily allocated to accelerate the proprietary IP layout, the implementation of registration-directed clinical trials, and the commercialization process for the OTOF pipeline. The lead product within this pipeline has already demonstrated promising safety and efficacy through an Investigator-Initiated Trial (IIT). Eleven patients with congenital deafness caused by OTOF gene defects received treatment, showing clear improvement in hearing function post-treatment, with restoration to a level close to natural hearing.

This study encompasses the widest patient age range among global studies of its kind. Furthermore, the longest postoperative follow-up period has exceeded 2.5 years, continuously validating the stability and durability of the treatment effect. This aligns with the expected profile of gene therapy in otology: "a single injection for a potential cure, with long-lasting efficacy." Based on the ongoing output from this clinical research, the team has consecutively published four papers in high-impact international journals and received coverage from several authoritative media outlets in China.

Leveraging the insights gained from this clinical practice, the team has taken a leading role in publishing clinical consortium standards and guidelines for otological gene therapy and will continue to optimize its approach for the implementation of registration-directed clinical trials.