Dr. Bakersfield Site PI

RGX-314 Gene Therapy

for Diabetic Retinopathy

RGX-314 is being developed as a novel, potential one-time gene therapy treatment for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy, a chronic and progressive complication of diabetes mellitus. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a sight-threatening disease characterized in the early stages by neuronal and vascular dysfunction in the retina, and later by neovascularization that leads to further deterioration of functional vision. Despite the availability of current treatments, diabetic retinopathy remains the leading cause of vision loss in working-age adults, those between the ages of 20 and 74. Existing treatment with anti-VEGF agents, although shown to be effective, are limited by short therapeutic half-lives, which then require frequent intravitreal injections over the patient's lifetime, resulting in increased risk of associated adverse events and significant treatment burden. Due to the burden of treatment, patients often do not closely adhere to treatment regimens and experience sub-optimal outcomes and a decline in vision. RGX-314 is being developed as a potential one time treatment for diabetic retinopathy, which may deliver advantages over conventional treatments, such as potentially providing a longer duration of therapeutic effect and intervening at an earlier stage of the disease.