Touting its novel approach for treating glaucoma, Qlaris Bio Inc. reported promising top-line data from two phase II studies testing QLS-111 in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension, showing the drug met all primary and secondary endpoints, reducing intraocular pressure with a clean safety profile that could encourage patients to remain on treatment.

Inmed Pharmaceuticals Inc. has selected an intravitreal (IVT) formulation for INM-089 as a drug candidate to be utilized in the company’s ongoing development program targeting the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Stargardt disease type 1 (STGD1) is an inherited retinal recessive disease caused by biallelic variants in the ABCA4 gene. One of the recurrent variants is located at the exon-intron junction of exon 6, c.768G>T. Due to its high prevalence, c.768G>T is an interesting therapeutic target for STGD1. Researchers from Radboud University developed a new antisense oligonucleotide (AON) therapy, designed to rescue the splicing defect caused by this variant.

Stargardt disease, the most common form of juvenile macular degeneration, results from biallelic mutations in the ABCA4 gene. In a recently published study, researchers at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel and collaborators proposed a novel dual AAV vector system to deliver a split-intein adenine base editor for precise correction of the most common Stargardt mutation, c.5882G>A (p.Gly1961Glu).

Tikun Therapeutics Inc. has obtained U.S. orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations for its programs in familial dysautonomia, namely its rAAV2-U1a-hELP1 gene replacement therapy for the treatment of optic neuropathy in familial dysautonomia and BPN-36964 for systemic treatment of familial dysautonomia.

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a group of monogenic disorders caused by mutations in more than 280 genes, and are characterized by progressive degeneration of photoreceptor cells in the retina.

Corneal neovascularization (CNV) occurs when abnormal blood vessels grow into the cornea in response to ischemic or hypoxic conditions caused by infections, inflammation or chemical injuries.

Day two of the J.P Morgan Healthcare Conference rolled on with positive data from Sling Therapeutics Inc. that is leading the company to a phase III study in treating thyroid eye disease. The privately held company posted top-line efficacy and safety results from a phase IIb/III study of its lead candidate, linsitinib, which hits its primary endpoint with statistical significance at the twice-daily, 150-mg oral dose.