Eyestem completes first set of patient injections for its pioneering Dry AMD treatment

New Delhi: In a groundbreaking development for ophthalmology research in India, cell therapy company Eyestem Research has completed the first set of three patient injections for its RPE suspension therapy for Dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

This debilitating eye disease is a leading cause of blindness in individuals over 60, impacting an estimated 196 million people globally.

Eyestem’s lead product, Eyecyte-RPE™, is a patented suspension of retinal pigment epithelium cells aimed at combating geographic atrophy arising from Dry AMD. This pioneering treatment marks a major milestone for Indian biotechnology and the global fight against vision loss, as it has the potential to replace damaged retinal cells.

Led by Dr Rajani Battu, Chief Medical Officer, Eyestem, this first in-human trial will involve 36 patients across three of the most reputable ophthalmology centres in India. “Completing the first three patient injections of Eyecyte-RPE™ represents a critical milestone for our quest to find a cure for Dry AMD. With the support of exceptionally skilled surgeons at our trial sites, we are optimistic of translating our research for societal benefit”, she said.

In a joint statement, Dr Rajpal Vohra (AIIMS, Delhi) , Dr. Raja Narayanan (LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad), Dr. Rushikesh Naigonkar (Ganpati Netralaya, Jalna),  and Dr. Rohan Chawla (AIIMS, Delhi), retinal surgeons involved in the study, said “Dry AMD and associated vision loss present a massive burden on patients in India and abroad. We are excited about supporting this research which has the potential of helping such patients. It is a matter of great pride that such an innovation is coming out of India for the world and hope that this is the start of a new age of medicine where India leads the way.”

Dr Ramesh Byrapaneni, Managing Director, Endiya Partners said, “As a clinician and an early investor in Eyestem, I am thrilled to see Eyestem taking their first product developed from induced pluripotent stem cells into clinical development.  It is a defining moment for any drug discovery company to move the product from the preclinical studies into human clinical trials and I personally look forward to them disrupting the cell therapy ecosystem globally and setting benchmarks in quality, innovation, and accessibility in this sector.”

Since 2017, Bengaluru-based Eyestem has developed a scalable cell therapy platform for incurable diseases and is moving its flagship product for Dry AMD into human trials.  The preclinical safety and efficacy studies of Eyecyte-RPE™ have yielded highly encouraging results in three internationally recognised labs in India, Singapore, and the US. The therapy demonstrated significant beneficial effects on the degenerating retina in animal models without any major safety concerns, indicating its potential value for combating Dry AMD.