Italian gene‑therapy company AAVantgarde raised $141 million in a Series B round to advance two pivotal programs for inherited retinal diseases, including an AAV‑8 intein‑mediated therapy for Stargardt disease and a program for Usher 1B retinitis pigmentosa. The financing attracted Amgen Ventures and established investors, aiming to fund ongoing CELESTE and LUCE clinical efforts and associated natural history studies. Investors highlighted the company’s platform innovations to overcome AAV limitations and the clinical urgency in rare inherited retinal disease (IRD). The capital will support pivotal‑enabling studies and broaden the company’s manufacturing and regulatory readiness as IRD gene therapies approach registrational milestones.