Date: 2015-01-07
Type of information: Grant
Company: GenSight Biologics (France) Pixium Vision (France) Fondation Voir et Entendre (France)
Investors: BpiFrance (France)
Amount: € 18.5 million
Funding type: grant
Planned used: The collaborative R&D project SIGHT AGAIN is coordinated by GenSight Biologics. It aims to restore vision to legally blind patients with retinitis pigmentosa at different stages. GenSight Biologics's approach is based on Optogenetics technology, to make cells sensitive to light by introducing, using viral vectors, photosensitive proteins, in order to restore vision in patients with very low vision or total blindness due to retinitis pigmentosa (RP), with the objective to provide a quality of life and sight associated to a level of vision consistent with a significant improvement of independence. The optogenetic product consists of a gene therapy product, in the form of an AAV (Adeno-Associated Virus) viral vector encoding a photosensitive protein that will allow reintroducing photosensitivity to the retina. Pixium Vision is developing two Vision Restoration Systems (VRS), IRIS® and PRIMA, that aim to significantly improve the independence, mobility and quality of life of patients who have lost their sight. Clinical trials are currently underway with IRIS® in several centers in Europe with the goal of applying for CE Mark. Commercialization of IRIS® is expected to begin in 2015, subject to the obtaining of the CE Mark. Pixium Vision will continue to improve the performance of the IRIS® VRS notably through the development of new algorithms and software. PRIMA is currently in preclinical development. The company plans to begin clinical trials in Europe in 2016. The partners will work together with the aim to develo these two complementary therapeutic products to restore vision: an optogenetic gene therapy product and a Vision Restoration System with a retinal implant, PRIMA. Although different in their technology and targeting distinct stages of the disease, both approaches use a common visual interface. This unique visual stimulation device is in the form of goggles and enables the image capture, their processing and projection on the retina. With dedicated specifications for each developed product, the device will help restore visual function in the retina of patients to transmit visual information to the brain. Rehabilitation protocols will be developed specifically to allow patients to learn how to use and interpret this new form of vision. The technology used for PRIMA is a sub-retinal stimulation, which targets the inner retina directly replacing the function of the photoreceptor layer by a miniature wireless electrode holder, thus stimulating the inner retina. GenSight Biologics develops the optogenetic gene therapy product, from the proof of concept up to the regulatory steps for market authorization. Pixium Vision covers the full cycle of development and industrialization of PRIMA. The two companies will work together on the development of the common parts of the visual interface with Fondation Voir et Entendre. Fondation Voir et Entendre will realize at the Institut de la Vision the preclinical validation of both therapeutic products developed by GenSight Biologics and Pixium Vision. The multidisciplinary teams will be composed of ophthalmologist clinicians, viral vectors specialists, specialists in the physiology of the retina and visual system, electronic specialists developing cameras called "asynchronous", physicists for integration of optical systems and finally mathematicians for development of embedded software. Fondation Voir et Entendre will also involve the company Streetlab for the development of rehabilitation protocols. Clinical trials will benefit from the expertise of the Ophthalmology Center for Clinical Investigation (CIC) at the national eye hospital CHNO XV-XX.
Others: * On January 7, 2015, GenSight Biologics, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of gene therapy based treatments for retinal degenerative diseases, Pixium Vision, a company developing innovative Vision Restoration Systems (VRS) to allow patients who have lost their sight to lead more independent lives, and Fondation Voir et Entendre, a foundation for scientific cooperation aiming to boost the scientific and medical potential of the Institut de la Vision to meet the sensory challenges of hearing and vision impairments, join forces and announce that the SIGHT AGAIN project will receive a total of € 18.5 million funding over five years as part of the Investment for the Future. SIGHT AGAIN has been selected to the call for projects \"Projects Structuring Competitiveness\" as part of the Investment for the Future and will receive a total of € 18.5 million funding. These grants and refundable advances will be distributed specifically between the three partners of the project. The estimated overall budget of SIGHT AGAIN, also including private investment, is € 47 million.
Therapeutic area: Ophtalmological diseases
