The US company has pioneered a new class of complement medicine, having two approved medicines targeting C3. These include the first and only therapy for geographic atrophy, a leading cause of blindness around the world. With nearly a dozen clinical and pre-clinical programs underway, Apellis believes it has only begun to unlock the potential of targeting C3 across many serious diseases.

In February 2023, the US FDA approved Apellis' drug for geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) after pushing back its planned decision by three months to review more data. Under the trade name Syfovre, pegcetacoplan injection became the first and only FDA-approved treatment for GA, a leading cause of blindness that impacts more than one million people in the USA and five million people worldwide.