Encoded Therapeutics, Inc. today announced they raised $104 million Series C financing which will be used to develop and commercialize innovative therapeutics with the potential to transform the treatment paradigm for severe genetic disorders. Incubated by Illumina Accelerator and seeded by Venrock and ARCH Venture Partners, Encoded unveiled its precision gene therapy platform, which has the potential to enable the development of gene therapies with greater cell-type selectivity, increased potency, and the ability to modulate the expression of endogenous genes. Encoded’s approach addresses key limitations of current gene therapy technology, unlocking new treatment opportunities.

The Series C financing includes investments from existing shareholders Venrock, ARCH Venture Partners, Matrix Capital Management, Illumina Ventures, and Altitude Life Science Ventures. New investors include Menlo Ventures, RTW Investments, Boxer Capital of Tavistock Group, and Alexandria Venture Investments. Encoded will use the funds to advance its lead program in Dravet Syndrome and its preclinical pipeline, as well as to leverage its platform to develop new therapeutics to treat severe genetic disorders.

“Our mission is to develop and commercialize life-changing therapeutics for severe genetic disorders that are not addressable with existing gene therapy approaches,” said Encoded co-founder and chief executive officer Kartik Ramamoorthi, Ph.D. “The support we have received from this visionary group of investors will allow us to develop into a fully-integrated therapeutics company and establish Encoded as a leading innovator in gene therapy.”

Encoded’s approach to gene therapy may enable entirely new treatment paradigms for individuals with severe genetic disorders. In certain disorders, it is desirable to target gene expression to certain cell types, improve the efficiency of gene delivery, or modulate the expression of large or complex genes. Encoded uses genomics and computational technologies to identify and optimize DNA sequences in the human genome, known as regulatory elements, to control gene expression. These regulatory elements are packaged into gene therapy viral vectors to precisely recapitulate natural patterns of gene expression, addressing key limitations with existing approaches. This gene regulation platform creates opportunities to advance gene therapies for previously untreatable disorders.

“By moving gene therapy beyond its current limitations, Encoded is poised to become a leader in the field,” said Bryan Roberts, Ph.D., partner at Venrock. “We are pleased to join this distinguished group of investors in supporting Encoded’s efforts to bring new gene therapies to diseases that can’t be reached with existing therapeutics.”