Collaboration aims to fast-track retinal therapy into clinical testing

SeaBeLife, a French biotech developing innovative therapies for degenerative retinal diseases, has signed a joint development agreement with Unither Pharmaceuticals, a leading international CDMO. The partnership will see Unither take the lead in formulation development, GMP manufacturing, and scale-up of SeaBeLife’s ophthalmic drug candidate, SBL03, ahead of planned clinical trials in 2027.

The collaboration allows SeaBeLife to use Unither’s industrial expertise and global footprint, while retaining ownership of the drug candidate. Together, the companies will manage preclinical and GMP batch production, analytical development, and regulatory preparation, sharing risks and costs associated with early-stage development.

“This agreement represents a strategic milestone for SeaBeLife,” said Morgane Rousselot, PhD, CEO. “By combining our scientific expertise with Unither’s manufacturing capabilities, we’re creating a clear path to clinical development and eventual commercialisation of our first-in-class therapy.”

Unither’s Nathalie Masson, director of innovation and development, added: “This partnership underlines our commitment to supporting innovative ophthalmology programs. By collaborating from formulation to scale-up, we help de-risk development and accelerate timelines for therapies addressing high unmet medical needs.”

The agreement also establishes a shared steering committee to monitor progress and approve key milestones, reinforcing a structured operational framework to bring SBL03 efficiently through preclinical and clinical stages.

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