Therapeutics To Treat Ocular Diseases
Keywords: Therapeutics, eye disease,
macular degeneration
Background:
The National Eye Institute's Section on Epithelial and Retinal
Physiology and Disease (SERPD) is seeking statements of capability
or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to
further develop, evaluate, or commercialize therapeutics for ocular
diseases caused by accumulation of sub-retinal fluid.
Technology:
The accumulation of subretinal fluid is associated with retinal
injury, post-surgical complications, and numerous adverse ocular
conditions, including chronic macular edema, age related macular
degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Aberrant
proliferation and migration of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE)
cells is also associated with these conditions. Interferon
gamma (IFN-gamma) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a
number of intraocular inflammatory or infectious
diseases.
NIH inventors have shown that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) can
significantly inhibit abnormal RPE proliferation and migration and
can be used to remove subretinal fluid. The application of
IFN-gamma may be by external application (e.g. eye drops or
ointments) or by subretinal injection. This invention may be
used to treat the debilitating complications of age-related macular
degeneration, chronic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, retinal
detachment, glaucoma, or other diseases that are associated with
abnormal fluid accumulation in the subretinal space.
Additionally, the invention describes methods for treating
decreases in visual acuity associated with this type of fluid
accumulation.
Further R&D Needed:
- Pre-clinical trials
- Phase I clinical trial
R&D
Status: Preclinical in vitro and animal model
studies are in progress.
IP Status: U. S. Provisional
Application No. 61/089,157 filed 15 Aug 2008
Value Proposition:
- Novel method to remove subretinal fluid to inhibit abnormal RPE
proliferation and migration
- Potential to treat numerous ocular diseases and decreases in
visual acuity by either external application or injection
- Ability to reduce retinal injury and post-surgical
complications associated with accumulation of subretinal fluid
Contact Information:
Alan Hubbs, Ph.D.
NCI Technology Transfer Center
Tel.: 301-594-4263
Email: hubbsa@mail.nih.gov
Please reference advertisement # 771
Revised 12/23/2008