Stem cell specialist ReNeuron Group Plc (LON:RENE) said the third patient in an early-stage clinical trial treating people with a rare eye disease will receive the therapy next week.
Researchers at Massachusetts Eye and Ear in Boston are using human retinal progenitor cells (hRPC) to possibly halt the progression of retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
They are carrying out a phase I/II clinical study on 15 acute sufferers of the degenerative conditions.
The second patient was recently treated following a positive Data Safety Monitoring Board review of one month follow-up data from the first.
The initial tranche of data – from nine patients – will form the backbone of the phase I trial to assess short-term safety and tolerability. Results are expected early next year.
The read-out from phase II – which will look at longer-term safety issues as well as for signs of efficacy – should be seen in the second half of 2017.
Success would see ReNeuron file an application for a phase II/III study late next year or early 2018.
"The upcoming completion of the first patient cohort in this phase I/II dose escalation study of our hRPC cell therapy candidate in retinitis pigmentosa represents an important milestone in the first clinical trial ReNeuron has undertaken in the US,” said chief executive Olav Hellebø.
“We look forward to seeing the remaining patients treated in the study and to reporting data from the Phase II part of the study during the course of next year."
*ReNeuron is hosting an investor meeting in New York on June 13 at midday Eastern Time at which key opinion leaders in retinal diseases will discuss the field in general as well as ReNeuron's programme. For more details email: mbeck@troutgroup.com.