Eyestem completes phase 1 trial of retinal cell therapy with promising vision gains
Ella Day | June 20, 2025 | News story | Research and Development | Eyestem Research, Opthalmology, cell therapy, clinical trial, dry age-related macular degeneration, geographic atrophy
Eyestem Research has announced the successful completion of its phase 1 trial evaluating Eyecyte-RPE, an investigational cell therapy for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The company has submitted its clinical study report to India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and is preparing to launch phase 2 pending regulatory approval.
The early-stage trial demonstrated strong safety outcomes with no serious adverse events and promising efficacy signals. Patients in the trial experienced an average improvement of 15.8 letters in visual acuity over six months.
“Our phase 1/2a trial demonstrated an excellent safety profile while delivering clinically meaningful vision improvement,” said Rajani Battu, chief medical officer of Eyestem. “We are ready to initiate phase 2 immediately upon CDSCO approval.”
Leading ophthalmologists across India involved in the study, including Rajpal Vohra (AIIMS, Delhi), Rushikesh Naigaonkar (Ganpati Netralaya, Jalna), and Vivek Dave (LV Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad), praised the therapy’s impact on patients’ daily lives. “Many are now able to read large print, recognise faces, and move around with greater confidence. These are meaningful improvements that truly enhance lives,” they said in a collective statement.
Eyecyte-RPE, developed from human-induced pluripotent stem cells, is designed to replace damaged retinal pigment epithelial cells.
US trials are being planned to take place in the first half of 2026. “Our focus remains on strong clinical evidence and scalable cell therapy platforms,” said CEO of Eyestem, Jogin Desai.
Geographic atrophy is a leading cause of blindness in people over 50, affecting five million people globally.
Ella Day
20/6/25
Related Content
Major breakthrough in T-cell receptor therapy manufacturing
For the first time, researchers at the University of Chicago in the US have successfully …
UCB announces first-in-patient trial success for galvokimig in atopic dermatitis
UCB has reported positive early clinical trial results for galvokimig, an investigational therapy for adults …
FDA approves Wegovy for treatment of MASH in adults with liver fibrosis
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval for Wegovy (semaglutide) as …
