Sling Therapeutics Secures $123 Million to Advance Thyroid Eye Disease Treatment
Private company Sling Therapeutics has raised $123 million in funding to advance its experimental oral drug, linsitinib, for treating thyroid eye disease. This condition causes inflammation and swelling around the eyes, potentially leading to eye bulging and vision loss.
The late-stage trial will involve about 130 adults with moderate-to-severe active thyroid eye disease who will receive either 150 mg of linsitinib or a placebo twice daily for 24 weeks. In an earlier trial, linsitinib reduced eye bulging, meeting the main goal of the study, and demonstrated a differentiated safety profile compared to similar treatments.
Linsitinib could offer an alternative to intravenous treatments such as Amgen's Tepezza and Viridian Therapeutics' Lumvoa for patients whose needs are not met by current biologics. CEO Ryan Zeidan said linsitinib could provide a solution for those concerned about hearing loss linked to these treatments or those who find intravenous therapy impractical.
The Series C funding round was led by Forbion, with participation from TPG Life Sciences Innovations and Sectoral Asset Management. As part of the financing deal, Regina Salvat of Forbion and François Beaubien of Sectoral Asset Management were appointed to Sling's board.