Two Massachusetts biotech firms shut down, ending cancer and eye‑disease programs

Adecto Pharmaceuticals, a Boston‑based biotech developing a treatment for cancers resistant to standard immunotherapy, announced it has ceased operations as of September 30. CEO Nora Minerva shared the closure on LinkedIn, noting the difficulty of raising funds in a risk‑averse environment.

Aviceda Therapeutics, which was working on retinal disease therapies and had planned a Phase 3 trial for an eye drug, is also winding down. The decision follows a missed primary endpoint in a Phase 2b trial, according to an employee’s LinkedIn post cited by Endpoints News.

The two closures affect a small workforce at Adecto, estimated between two and ten employees, and a larger team at Aviceda, ranging from 51 to 200 staff. Both companies are exiting the biotech scene, leaving their research programs unfinished.