Implantable capsule may help treat dry macular degeneration

Last week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked a novel treatment for two eye diseases: age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The new treatment, developed by the Lincoln, RI, biotech company Neurotech, is a capsule that's surgically implanted in the eye.



Inside are genetically engineered cells that produce a protein that may prevent light-sensitive cells in the retina from dying, thus protecting vision. The device is currently in phase II clinical trials. Retinal cells translate light into electrical signals, which are relayed to the brain. But, in both retinitis pigmentosa and in the dry form of age-related macular degeneration, light-sensitive cells in the retina degenerate over time, resulting "in loss of vision."

Currently, RP and dry AMD patients have few or no treatment options. Implanted in the vitreous humor, the device, which is made of a semipermeable plastic, allows ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) protein to diffuse into the retina. In animal studies," CNTF "slowed the degeneration of retinal cells in diseases analogous to RP.

Posted in: Macular Degeneration, Neurotech, Retinitis Pigmentosa, Technology