Angelini Ventures has joined an oversubscribed $90 million Series C financing for Epicrispr Biotechnologies, a clinical-stage company pioneering programmable epigenetic medicines. The round was co-led by Octagon Capital and Janus Henderson Investors, with participation from Fidelity Management & Research Company, Cormorant Asset Management, Duquesne, Sanofi Ventures, Aberdeen Investments, Readout Capital, and existing investors.

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy, causing progressive weakening and loss of skeletal muscle — typically starting in the face, shoulders and upper arms before spreading further. The disease is caused by the abnormal activation of the fetal DUX4 gene in adult muscle tissue, where it should normally remain silent. Its aberrant expression drives ongoing muscle cell death and functional decline. Despite the significant and growing patient burden, there is currently no approved treatment that addresses the underlying cause of the disease — only supportive care aimed at managing symptoms.

This is the unmet need Epicrispr is designed to address. Rather than editing the DNA sequence itself, the company's proprietary GEMS (Gene Expression Modulation System) platform works epigenetically — reprogramming how genes are packaged and expressed, to durably silence the aberrant DUX4 activity responsible for FSHD. It's a first-in-class approach: no epigenetic therapy of this kind has ever reached patients before.

The new financing will advance EPI-321, Epicrispr's lead clinical candidate, toward pivotal studies, while expanding a broader pipeline of epigenetic medicines built on the same platform.

Read the full press release