ReNeuron Not Continuing Clinical Development of Cell-Based Therapy for RP

ReNeuron, a developer of cell-based therapies for retinal diseases and other conditions, has announced that it will not further develop its emerging human retinal progenitor cell (hRPC) therapy for people with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and related conditions. The company will seek a partner to license the therapy to continue development.

In a press release, the company reported that the subretinal delivery of 2 million cells in the extension arm of its Phase 2a clinical trial led to more surgical complexity than the 1 million cell dose. Furthermore, the 2 million cell dose showed limited evidence of efficacy, and in some cases, reduced vision. Also, efficacy waned for many patients treated in the initial trial.

The hRPCs are stem cells that have not fully developed into photoreceptors. Researchers had hoped the cells, when injected subretinally, would mature and integrate into the recipient’s retina to restore vision.

“While we are disappointed in the results from ReNeuron’s clinical trial, we also understand well that emerging therapies often don’t complete the clinical trial process. It is the nature of clinical research,” says Benjamin Yerxa, PhD, chief executive officer at the Foundation Fighting Blindness. “We are proud to have funded preclinical research that made this trial possible, and we can take what we learned from ReNeuron’s trial and apply it to development of future therapies.”