A non-invasive retinal exam may soon enable clinicians to visualize the future for patients at risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD). When combined with an artificial intelligence algorithm, an exam accurately predicted CKD prior to symptom onset in a study published in Digital Medicine.

Skyline Therapeutics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. has received FDA clearance for its IND application for a phase I/IIa trial of SKG-0106, a one-time intravitreally delivered recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). A global phase I trial will be initiated soon.

Just over a month after scoring U.S. FDA clearance for dry eye disease therapy Miebo (perfluorohexyloctane), Bausch + Lomb Corp. is adding Xiidra (lifitegrast) to its arsenal in the same indication as part of the potential $2.5 billion deal with Novartis AG, which is divesting its “front-of-eye” ophthalmology assets.

Drug Farm has received FDA clearance of its IND application for DF-003, a first-in-class, oral, potent, highly selective ALPK1 inhibitor.

Intergalactic Therapeutics Inc. has announced promising preclinical data with IG-002, its lead program addressing all forms of ABCA4-related retinopathies. Intergalactic’s nonviral gene therapy platform is designed to overcome limitations of standard adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy technologies, including vector capacity limitations and vector-related safety concerns.

Visgenx Inc. has announced promising data from a nonhuman primate (NHP) study of VGX-011...

Less than two years old, Tourmaline Bio Inc. is gaining a public listing through a reverse merger with publicly traded Talaris Therapeutics Inc., as it enters a phase IIb with its lead IL-6 inhibitor for thyroid eye disease (TED).

Mutations in the CEP290 (NPHP6) gene cause severe cilia formation defects and a wide range of ciliopathies, ranging from non-syndromic Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA10) to Meckel syndrome (MKS). Researchers from Medetia SAS and affiliated organizations recently presented the discovery and preclinical evaluation of a novel prostaglandin-E2 receptor agonist, MDT-110, as a potential treatment of NPHP6/CEP290-associated phenotypes.