Astellas Pharma Inc. and University of Pittsburgh have entered into a research collaboration agreement focused on the discovery and optimization of clinical candidates for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD), a back-of-the-eye disease, utilizing the AAV-based gene therapy approach. Among back-of-the-eye diseases, age-related macular degeneration is one of the leading causes of acquired blindness in the elderly. Dry AMD, in particular, is a disease in which retinal pigment epithelial cells gradually degenerate in the macula of the retina, and visual acuity deteriorates significantly as the disease advances to a severe stage. However, the mechanism leading to such

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has implanted the first patient in the United States with a new wireless retinal device as part of a clinical trial aimed at restoring partial sight to patients with advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a disease that leads to permanent blindness. “Vision research has advanced dramatically in the recent past and UPMC is at the forefront of this revolution. This is the first of many such breakthroughs led by UPMC and Pitt that will benefit patients with vision loss in our community and around the world,” said José-Alain Sahel, M.D., director of the UPMC

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in the United States, affecting nearly two million people, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. With the aging population in America, this number is estimated to double in the coming two decades. AMD is a disease in the eye that affects the retina, which is a layer of nerve cells in the back of the eye that senses light and sends signals to the brain so a person can see. AMD occurs when a specific part of the retina called the macular is damaged, causing a person