Celea Therapeutics, backed by PureTech, raised $180 million to advance deupirfenidone for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The reported venture round is intended to move the program into late-stage testing in the third quarter of 2026, following a Phase 2 readout described as showing slowed lung function decline versus placebo over six months. The report positions deupirfenidone as a retooled version of pirfenidone (Esbriet), one of the limited approved options for slowing fibrosis progression. In addition to the IPF focus, Celea said the therapy could be explored across other fibrotic diseases. For investors and developers in fibrotic lung disease, the round adds funding momentum around a differentiated chemical-entity strategy in an area where antifibrotic standards include Boehringer Ingelheim’s Ofev and competitors expanding into combination or formulation variants.