A phase 1 clinical trial will be launching soon to test a gene editing approach for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). In wet AMD uncontrolled blood vessel growth occurs which leads to fluid leaking into the eye. If untreated, this can lead to vision loss. The current treatment for wet AMD is injections of anti-VEGF into the eye, usually every 4-8 weeks, which slows the growth of blood vessels.
The new potential treatment HG202, by the company HuidaGene Therapeutics, uses a gene editing approach to reduce the amount of a growth molecule (VEGF) in the retina and therefore reduce blood vessel growth. This would be a one-time treatment, that is hoped will reduce or even eliminate the need for anti-VEGF injections.
The treatment has already been tested in a Phase 1 clinical trial in China. This new North American Phase 1 clinical trial will have multiple sites in the United States and will be primarily studying if the treatment is safe.
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