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First patient treated in trial of ReNeuron’s retinitis pigmentosa cell therapy

ReNeuron has demonstrated that its Human Retinal Progenitor Cells (hRPCs) improve visual acuity in preclinical models of retinal degeneration…

The first patient has been treated with ReNeuron’s cell therapy candidate for the blindness-causing disease retinitis pigmentosa in a first-in-human US clinical trial. 

The procedure, involving a single injection of hRPC cells under the retina, was conducted at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School (HMS) and a world-renowned clinical and research centre for the treatment of eye disease, including retinal degeneration. The patient was discharged from hospital on the same day.

Retinitis pigmentosa is a group of hereditary diseases of the eye that lead to progressive loss of sight due to photoreceptor cells in the retina becoming damaged and eventually dying.  ReNeuron has demonstrated that its Human Retinal Progenitor Cells (hRPCs) improve visual acuity in preclinical models of retinal degeneration and, uniquely, the cells appear to both protect the host retina from further degeneration as well as engraft into the retina itself and differentiate into the photoreceptor cell types that are lost as a result of the disease.  These putative mechanisms of action suggest that ReNeuron’s cell therapy candidate could potentially treat any of the specific genetic variants of retinitis pigmentosa rather than, as is the case with gene therapy approaches, being restricted to the targeting of one particular genetic cause of disease.

Study marks ReNeuron’s initiation of clinical trial activities in the US

The Phase I/II clinical trial is an open-label, dose escalation study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of ReNeuron’s hRPC cell therapy candidate in 15 patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa. Importantly, the study marks the Company’s initiation of clinical trial activities in the US.  

The FDA has granted Fast Track designation to ReNeuron’s hRPC programme targeting retinitis pigmentosa.  This, together with the programme’s Orphan Drug Designation in both the US and Europe, provides accelerated clinical development and marketing authorisation review processes for the retinitis pigmentosa therapeutic candidate as well as the potential for a significant period of market exclusivity once approved in these major territories.

Further patients have been identified for recruitment into the study and initial short-term safety and tolerability data from the Phase I part of the study are expected towards the end of 2016, with preliminary efficacy read-outs in the first half of 2017.  Subject to the outcome of the Phase I/II study, ReNeuron expects to be able to file an application in the second half of 2017 to commence a pivotal Phase II/III clinical trial with its cell therapy candidate for retinitis pigmentosa. A positive outcome from this pivotal study is expected to form the basis for subsequent marketing authorisation filings in both the US and Europe.

Commenting on the announcement, Olav Hellebø, Chief Executive Officer of ReNeuron, said: “The dosing of the first patient in the Phase I/II clinical trial of our cell therapy candidate for retinitis pigmentosa marks another significant milestone for ReNeuron.  Retinal degenerative diseases represent extremely attractive targets for cell therapy approaches and our programme targeting RP benefits from a number of key competitive advantages in terms of the potential mechanisms of action of our hRPC cells and the potential speed of clinical development to market for this programme.  With the start of this study, we are also delighted to have commenced clinical development activities in the US, a major target market.”

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29 responses to “First patient treated in trial of ReNeuron’s retinitis pigmentosa cell therapy”

  1. Muthukumaran says:

    My brother afftected with retinitis pigmentosa. Now his age is 43. He lost his total vision. He is un-employee. No income. His father died. He is living with his old mother. So he may consider for trial.

  2. Himanshu Kesharwani says:

    Thank you very much for research .keep doing it,we are all with you,at the end never eeeever lose hope. Thanks again

  3. Patel s g says:

    My relative has got to he is 11years old.he has got visual aq.of 6/18 in both eye with no other symptoms.but he has to .So i want to know that when this will come to clinic in India.please help me.can we expect the cure of RP around 2019??

  4. Maheswari says:

    Great News!!
    My friend is suffering from RP for last 3 yrs. Please advise way forward to avail this treatment or to be considered for the trial.

  5. Said Mohamed Ezzat Abdel-Fatah says:

    Dear Sir /Mr /Mrs /Dr
    My son suffer from RP vision loss. I ask The Great Allah( God ) to cure him. Please God help us to find the cure. Thank you for this study. Please let me know results and how to enroll my 25 years old son.

  6. Anshika tiwari says:

    This is a great news, i am eager to know the progress on this… it would be wonderful if i hear back on this
    Anshika
    Ph no +91 9873372731

  7. Richa Arora says:

    What a wonderful news. My mom is suffering from this since she was 13 years old. It has been such a pain. I would appreciate if someone can help me with how to register as a patient for trial. It will be like giving a life to some. I will be obliged for rest of my life.

    Best,
    Richa
    +1-4088267204

  8. Dan says:

    This is the best news I have heard in years. I was diagnosed with x linked rp when I was around 15. I was a 3 star basketball recruit as a freshmen in high school but as my peripheral vision became worse it became harder to compete against top talent. I am now 22 and have been looking into many ways to prevent future deterioration and regain lost vision. Where can I sign up for this trial?

    • Niamh Marriott says:

      Hi Dan, further information regarding clinical trials, including relevant contact details, may be found on clinicaltrials.gov, a registry of clinical trials providing patients, family members, and members of the public free and easy access to information on clinical studies for a wide range of diseases and conditions.

  9. Saad Borak says:

    Hi

    Please advise way forward to avail this treatment or to be considered for the trial. My mother is suffering from this disease for the last 10 years and now she has completely lost her vision.

    Thanks
    Saad
    +6591853181
    [email protected]

  10. Brendan says:

    What wonderful news. I am aged 70 with RP (9 degrees) and always hoped that a cure would be available to my children/grandchildren. Keep up the great work you are doing.

  11. rena caudle says:

    We have been waiting to hear more about this. My grandson has scene cone rod retinitis pigments and he is challenged too so having anything back on his eyesight would be wonderful and give him much needed incentive to do things. He is so afraid to do much.

  12. This is great news!! I would like to know results and how to enroll my son who was diagnosed with RP at the age of 16. He is now 26 years old and his vision has slowly progressed. Just curious when we can expect the results? Thanks so much!

  13. Joju e p says:

    I pray god to discover complete solution for this clinical trials i am 50 years old with RP in india kerala .

  14. Jayshree Saraiya says:

    Great news for millions of people all over world. Hope research is successful & will open door to many people.

  15. Josh says:

    Well, I will say that this is quite exciting! I too am curious to know what the schedule is for this trial, cause there is a lot of stuff that I want to do, but can’t do, because of RP. Good luck to you guys, cause damn, this would help SO many people around the world!

  16. Joana says:

    It’s a great notice!!! Thanks for this study!!!

  17. This is truly great and welcoming news. I was diagnosed with RP at the age of 15, and made a trip to Moorfields eye hospital in London. I’m 55 now, and living in NY State. My eye sight has deteriiorated slowly over the 4 decades! I have hoped that a remedy would be found, all of this time. Thank you for the kind, thoughtful, caring and loving way, you dedicate your lives, to helping others.
    Fingers crossed on this one.

  18. robert watson says:

    I want to sign up to be a subject in your trials. How do i sign up. I have R P Usher Syndrome.

    • Nicholas Jackson says:

      Hi Robert, further information regarding clinical trials, including relevant contact details, may be found on clinicaltrials.gov, a registry of clinical trials providing patients, family members, and members of the public free and easy access to information on clinical studies for a wide range of diseases and conditions.

  19. Niaz Ahmed Channer says:

    It is pleasure to hear that your institute has successfully complete first trial for RP patients please let me know that how much time is to be taken by your institution to treat the RP patients residing all over the world.my age Is 48 years and I Am RP patient.

  20. Muhammad Bilal says:

    Please God help us to find the cure. Thank you for this study. Please let me know results and how to enroll my 7 years old son. He has RP Problem. Approximately how long the phase ll/lll clinical trials will go ? When we can expect the results? What is the early response of the implanted patients vision? Looking forward anxiously.
    Thanks,

    Muhammad Bilal

  21. Kumaresan says:

    I pray god to discover complete solution for this. I’m 48 years old with RP in India

    • prathamesh says:

      Im pratham with rp and macula in left eye.plzzzz bring treatment soon im 25 now but 60%blind

  22. David Villasmil says:

    Please God help us to find the cure. Thank you for this study. Please let me know results and how to enroll my 14 years old son.

  23. This is so amazing. I am 17 years old with RP. It runs in my family. Seeing this news is so mind boggling. I support ReNeuron 100%. Hope they are able to accomplish their goal.

  24. DR K N DAS says:

    Approximately how long the phase ll/lll clinical trials will go ? When we can expect the results? What is the early response of the implanted patients vision? Looking forward anxiously.

  25. Britanie says:

    This article has brought me to tears. I have been watching my son suffer from RP vision loss since it was brought to our attention during his eye exam at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles on his 16th birthday. He was already born profoundly deaf. His life has never been the same since being diagnosed with Usher Syndrome his sophomore year of high school. He has never been the same. This treatment will literally save his life. It will give him a life that he can feel proud of and in which he will be hopeful for the future.

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