Vinci Pharmaceuticals Raises $8M to Advance EPIPLANT Platform

Avon-by-the-Sea, New Jersey, U.S., October 8, 2026

Vinci Secures Funding to Advance EPIPLANT Development

The Series A financing was led by Dynagrow Capital, LLLP, with participation from MintPharma Capital. The funding is intended to move Vinci’s EPIPLANT program toward clinical evaluation by supporting manufacturing readiness, product testing, and other activities required before human studies can begin. Vinci Pharmaceuticals is a specialty ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on developing treatments for diseases affecting the retina. Its EPIPLANT technology was developed in the laboratory of Karl Csaky, MD, PhD, and licensed from the Retina Foundation of the Southwest in Dallas, Texas. The company has also reported receiving multiple patents covering the proprietary platform and completing preliminary preclinical testing.

Philip A. Gioia, Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Vinci Pharmaceuticals, said the financing represents an important step toward preparing EPIPLANT for its first-in-human study. The company believes the platform could provide sustained drug delivery to retinal tissues and potentially reduce treatment burden for patients and physicians. The investment reflects continued interest in technologies intended to address practical challenges in ophthalmic treatment, particularly for retinal diseases that require repeated administration of medication. However, the anticipated clinical timeline remains subject to successful development, manufacturing, testing, and other applicable requirements.

EPIPLANT Targets Sustained Drug Delivery to the Retina

EPIPLANT is a proprietary episcleral implant platform designed to provide sustained delivery of medicines to retinal tissues. The bioerodible system is intended to release active pharmaceutical ingredients over time, offering a potential alternative to conventional approaches that frequently require injections directly into the eye. Existing treatments for certain retinal conditions may involve repeated intravitreal injections, which can create treatment burdens for patients and healthcare professionals. Vinci is developing EPIPLANT to address these challenges by positioning the implant outside the sclera, the outer protective layer of the eye, with the aim of delivering therapeutic drug levels to targeted retinal tissues.

The company reports that the platform can currently accommodate small-molecule medicines and may support multiple active pharmaceutical ingredients for different retinal indications. This flexibility could create opportunities to investigate the delivery system across several ophthalmic diseases, although each product and indication would require appropriate development and evaluation. VCI-002 is the product being advanced toward the planned Phase 1/2a study in 2027. The financing will support its GMP manufacturing, testing, and release activities ahead of clinical development. Vinci has not reported human clinical results for the platform in its announcement, and its potential safety, performance, and therapeutic benefits remain to be established through further studies.

Company Prepares for First-in-Human Clinical Study

Vinci plans to initiate a Phase 1/2a clinical study in 2027 to evaluate its EPIPLANT sustained-release delivery system. The planned study represents the next major milestone following preliminary preclinical work and the development of the manufacturing and testing activities supported by the new financing. Sarah Hassan, Managing Director at Dynagrow Capital, highlighted the potential of EPIPLANT to address treatment burden associated with existing approaches to retinal disease management. Richard Lindstrom, MD, of Minnesota Eye Consultants, also described the platform’s potential to deliver targeted drug levels to the macula and support the development of therapies for retinal conditions. These perspectives reflect the platform’s intended clinical opportunity, but the safety and effectiveness of EPIPLANT and VCI-002 must be established through clinical evaluation. The planned study will be an important step in assessing whether the delivery approach can progress toward broader clinical development. The financing strengthens Vinci Pharmaceuticals’ ability to advance its ophthalmic development program. By supporting GMP manufacturing readiness and preparations for clinical testing, the company aims to move EPIPLANT from preclinical development toward its first evaluation in humans.

Source: Vinci Pharmaceuticals press release