A Milan‑based gene‑therapy developer, AAVantgarde, closed a $141 million Series B round led in part by Amgen Ventures to advance gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases. The financing will support IND‑enabling studies and scale‑up work for two lead programs targeting rare blindness. Investors highlighted the clinical and manufacturing challenges in adeno‑associated virus (AAV) gene therapy and signaled confidence in AAVantgarde’s platform and development plan. The cash infusion comes as major pharmas continue to partner with or invest in gene‑therapy specialists to fill pipelines in ophthalmology. AAVantgarde plans to use the proceeds for clinical development and manufacturing expansion; the round reinforces investor appetite for ocular gene therapies despite broader funding pressures in other biotech subsectors.