At Aura Biosciences, we are developing a new class of therapies to target and destroy cancer cells selectively, while leaving surrounding tissue unharmed – an approach we call molecular surgery. By safely eliminating cancer locally, we can treat early and transform the lives of people with a wide range of cancers that are poorly managed today. Our lead program in ocular melanoma (OM), also known as choroidal or uveal melanoma, is designed to remove cancer cells in the back of the eye as a first-line therapy, while allowing for the potential of preserving patients’ vision. The goal is to treat small ocular melanomas potentially long before the disease progresses and metastasizes to the liver, where it almost always is fatal. Development of a first-in-class, non-radioactive treatment option to selectively destroy cancer cells would create the possibility to transform the treatment of this and other cancers where the disease can be detected early. By enabling physicians to treat cancer more selectively, effectively and safely than they can do today, we aim to eliminate the need for invasive procedures that carry significant morbidity, including vision loss and often do little to improve a patient’s overall survival.