I’m sharing below an announcement for our next NCI Technology Webinar, on Jan. 31st from 11am-12pm. This webinar will feature a potential novel treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). Dr. Becerra and her team at the National Eye Institute (NEI) developed a novel therapeutic pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) peptide that exhibits a highly potent effect on photoreceptor protection in in vivo mouse models. Over 100,000 people in the U.S. and 1.5 million people worldwide suffer from RP, which leads to progressive photoreceptor cell degeneration and ultimately vision loss. This new therapeutic PEDF peptide has the potential to be a treatment option for the worldwide RP patient population and may also protect retinal cells from damage associated with glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The NEI is looking for a commercialization partner for this technology.
