Stargardt Disease News and Research

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Stargardt disease, also known as Stargardt macular dystrophy or juvenile macular degeneration, is a condition that involves the retina of the eye. The retina is the layer of the eye which is responsible for sensing light. Most people with Stargardt disease have some loss of vision at a young age, either as a child or an adolescent, although some people may retain good vision until adulthood. It is estimated that about 1 in 10,000 people has Stargardt disease.

New data from Acucela’s ACU-4429 Phase 2a trial on advanced dry AMD/geographic atrophy

Acucela Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing new treatments for blinding eye diseases, announced today that the first patient data from the ACU-4429 program were presented during a poster session at The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2012 Annual Meeting.

8 May 2012

ACT announces dosing of third patient in dry AMD Phase I/II trial

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today the dosing of the third patient in its Phase I/II trial for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells.

21 Apr 2012

Experts comment on successful stem cell therapy for blindness

According to a new study published in The Lancet, privately funded and led by UCLA and Advanced Cell Technology researchers, two women suffering a progressive form of blindness have shown improved vision.

24 Jan 2012

Stem cells show promise in treating blindness

A medical breakthrough was reported Monday in the journal The Lancet wherein the results of a therapy using human embryonic stem cells in two legally blind patients was described.

24 Jan 2012

Mayo Clinic, Oxford BioMedica collaborate to develop gene therapy for glaucoma

Oxford BioMedica plc, the leading gene-based biopharmaceutical company, today announces that it has entered into a research and development collaboration with Mayo Clinic, Rochester (USA) to develop a novel gene therapy for the treatment of chronic glaucoma.

31 Oct 2011

FDA approves Oxford BioMedica's UshStat IND to treat Usher syndrome type 1B

Oxford BioMedica plc, the leading gene-based biopharmaceutical company, today announces that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its Investigational New Drug application for the Phase I/IIa clinical development of UshStat, a novel gene-based treatment for Usher syndrome type 1B.

18 Oct 2011

Embryonic stem cell therapy for incurable Stargardt eye disease

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26 Sep 2011

ACT receives UK MHRA clearance for hESC-derived RPE cell trial for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has received clearance from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency to begin treating patients as part of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy using retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) derived from human embryonic stem cells.

22 Sep 2011

New collaboration reinforces Sanofi's translational discovery platform for retinal diseases

The Max Planck Society (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft), Germany's leading basic research organization, announced today that it has signed with Fovea Pharmaceuticals, the Ophthalmology Division of Sanofi, a research collaboration and license agreement to identify and develop innovative solutions for restoring vision in patients suffering from diseases affecting the retina.

16 Sep 2011

Oxford BioMedica reports RetinoStat progress in Phase I study against wet AMD

Oxford BioMedica plc, a leading gene therapy company, today announces that the first dose level of RetinoStat is safe and well-tolerated at one month following treatment.

22 Jun 2011

Modified vitamin A drug may help prevent age-related macular degeneration

Slowing down the aggregation or "clumping" of vitamin A in the eye may help prevent vision loss caused by macular degeneration, research from Columbia University Medical Center has found.

19 May 2011

ARVO announces 2011 award recipients in retinal research

The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology is pleased to announce its 2011 ARVO Award recipients. These award recipients will be acknowledged at the ARVO 2011 Annual Meeting, May 1 - 5, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

2 May 2011

ACT seeks European MHRA clearance to initiate hESC derived RPE cell Phase 1/2 study in SMD

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has filed a clinical trial application (CTA) with the European Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seeking clearance to initiate its Phase 1/2 clinical trial using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to treat patients with Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD).

21 Apr 2011

Advanced Cell Technology reduces 2010 debt to less than $1 million

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today 2010 year-end results for the period ended December 31, 2010. The Company utilized $8.8 million in cash for operations during the year, compared to $5.1 million in the year-earlier period.

21 Mar 2011

ACT's hESC-derived RPE cells receive EMA positive opinion for Orphan Drug Designation for Stargardt's disease

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has announced a positive opinion of ACT's human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells for designation as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of Stargardt's disease.

11 Mar 2011

Alkeus and Columbia University enter license agreement for potential therapies for dry-AMD, Stargardt disease

Alkeus Pharmaceuticals and Columbia University announced today that they have entered into a license agreement for a set of potential therapies for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (dry-AMD), Stargardt disease, and other degenerative diseases of the eye. Left untreated, these conditions often lead to impaired vision and even blindness.

5 Jan 2011

FDA clears ACT's IND to treat AMD using hESC derived RPE cells

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company's Investigational New Drug (IND) application to treat Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs).

3 Jan 2011

NEI awards Case Western Reserve $10M for study of retinal diseases

The Departments of Pharmacology and Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have been awarded a $10.1 million grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) to research and develop new treatments for diseases of the retina, a leading cause of blindness.

29 Dec 2010

ACT, Roslin Cells collaborate to establish hESC line bank using single-ceblastomere technique

Advanced Cell Technology, a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Roslin Cells LTD of Scotland, in which the two companies contemplate a definitive collaboration agreement in the near future.

28 Dec 2010

ACT files IND application to initiate Phase I/II study for Dry AMD

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. announced today that it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) Application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to initiate a Phase I/II multicenter study using human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells to treat patients with Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD).

30 Nov 2010