Charity-backed RD Fund moves into company creation, launches Opus

Three years after its launch and nearly a year past its first exit, the philanthropically associated Retinal Degeneration Fund has for the first time created a new company from scratch, teaming with ex-Spark gene therapy developers to form Opus.

The RD Fund led Opus Genetics Inc.’s $19 million seed round, with which the start-up is aiming to advance two gene therapy programs for forms of Leber congenital amaurosis. One is due in the clinic next year...