Inherited retinal dystrophies (IRDs), including retinitis pigmentosa and Stargardt disease, are a group of rare degenerative disorders of the retina with clinical and genetic heterogeneity. In a recent publication, researchers from the Institute of Ocular Microsurgery applied clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 and transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN) gene-editing tools to precisely correct induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) lines derived from IRD patients.
After raising AU$40 million (US$25.9 million) earlier this year to advance lead candidate VP-001 for treating retinitis pigmentosa type 11, PYC Therapeutics is now advancing PYC-003 to the clinic for polycystic kidney disease.
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common hereditary degenerative eye disease that leads to progressive vision loss, primarily caused by retinal degeneration.
Skyline Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.’s SKG-1108, a novel one-time intravitreally delivered gene therapy, has been awarded U.S. orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.
Rznomics Inc. has received clinical trial notification (CTN) from Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) for the initiation of a phase I/IIa trial evaluating RZ-004, a gene therapeutic candidate for autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa with rhodopsin mutation.
Opus Genetics Inc. has received $1.7 million in project-based funding from the Foundation Fighting Blindness to help advance two preclinical candidate programs for inherited retinal diseases.
University of Basel investigators have reported an association between mutations in the COQ8B gene and nonsyndromic retinitis pigmentosa (RP). RP is a genetically heterogeneous retinal degeneration disorder, which has been found to be associated with mutations in more than 70 genes. However, there are still cases for which no genetic cause has been found.
From glaucoma to Stargardt disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to retinitis pigmentosa, or a corneal transplant to Bietti’s crystalline dystrophy, the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) is working to bring some light to patients with age and congenital diseases that affect vision. From May 7-11, 2024, thousands of scientists are gathering in Baltimore to show their advances against the challenges of delivering genes and cells to the correct place, avoiding immunogenicity and improving diseases.
From glaucoma to Stargardt disease, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to retinitis pigmentosa, or a corneal transplant to Bietti’s crystalline dystrophy, the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT) is working to bring some light to patients with age and congenital diseases that affect vision. From May 7-11, 2024, thousands of scientists are gathering in Baltimore to show their advances against the challenges of delivering genes and cells to the correct place, avoiding immunogenicity and improving diseases.
On the heels of a $4.6 million series A round in December 2023, cell therapy company Rxcell Inc. is planning to raise another $15 million in 2024 to take its iPSC-derived photoreceptors to the clinic for retinitis pigmentosa and other degenerative diseases of the retina.
