Epicrispr Raises $90M to Push Epigenetic FSHD Therapy Toward Pivotal Trials

Epicrispr Biotechnologies closed a $90M Series C to advance what it calls the first epigenetic editing drug for a rare muscle disease.

Epicrispr Biotechnologies has raised $90 million in an oversubscribed Series C round to fund the next stage of development for its experimental epigenetic therapy targeting facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a rare and currently untreatable muscle-wasting disease. The round was co-led by Octagon Capital and Janus Henderson Investors, with participation from a broad investor group including Fidelity Management & Research, Cormorant Asset Management, Duquesne Family Office, Sanofi Ventures, abrdn Inc., Angelini Ventures, and Readout Capital, alongside existing investors. The company has also completed enrollment in an early-stage clinical study testing its treatment — described as first-in-class — with the new capital intended to move the program toward pivotal, or late-stage, trials. Epigenetic editing differs from gene editing approaches like CRISPR in that it modifies how genes are expressed rather than altering the DNA sequence itself. FSHD is a progressive muscle disease that typically begins in the face, shoulders, and upper arms, and affects an estimated 1 in 8,000 people. The condition has attracted attention from multiple drugmakers, making Epicrispr one of several companies competing to deliver the first approved treatment.

Why it matters

FSHD currently has no approved treatments, leaving patients with few options as the disease progresses. A successful pivotal trial would position Epicrispr's epigenetic approach as a potential first therapy for the condition.

What's next

With enrollment complete in the early-stage trial, the company plans to use the Series C proceeds to advance toward pivotal studies.

Key facts

• Epicrispr raised $90 million in a Series C round, which was oversubscribed
• The round was co-led by Octagon Capital and Janus Henderson Investors
• Other investors include Fidelity, Sanofi Ventures, Duquesne Family Office, and Cormorant Asset Management
• Epicrispr has completed enrollment in an early-stage clinical trial of its FSHD therapy
• FSHD (facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy) affects roughly 1 in 8,000 people and has no approved treatments
• The therapy is described as first-in-class, using epigenetic editing rather than direct DNA modification

Bias & framing notes

Both sources report the same core facts consistently. The Financial Content piece, drawn from a company press release, emphasizes investor prestige and the 'oversubscribed' nature of the round, framing the news favorably. BioPharma Dive adds brief independent context about the competitive FSHD landscape, noting multiple other drugmakers are pursuing the same disease — a nuance absent from the press release.

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