Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced that the Wills Eye Institute, a global leader in ophthalmology, and a premier training site for all levels of medical education in Philadelphia, has received institutional review board (IRB) approval as a site for the phase I/II clinical trial for dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) using human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells.

“The participation of Wills Eye Institute in this trial will significantly enhance our clinical programme,” said Robert Lanza, MD, ACT’s chief scientific officer. “Wills Eye Institute is the oldest eye-care facility in the United States and is consistently ranked as one of the best ophthalmology hospitals in the country by the US News & World Report. We are looking forward to working with Dr Regillo and his team to address the unmet medical needs of degenerative diseases of the retina. With this latest approval, the company continues to assemble a clinical team that includes the best eye hospitals and surgeons in the world in our effort to find an effective therapy for this devastating eye disease.”

The phase I/II trial for dry AMD is a prospective, open-label study designed to determine the safety and tolerability of the hESC-derived RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation into patients with dry AMD. The trial will ultimately enroll 12 patients, with cohorts of three patients each in an ascending dosage format. Which patients will be enrolled at the Wills Eye Institute will be determined in the near future.

“Degenerative diseases of the retina often lead to a significant visual impairment,” said Carl Regillo, MD, director of clinical retina research at Wills Eye Institute and professor of ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University. “Replacing lost or damaged cells with functional and healthy cells may provide a treatment option that could slow vision loss, and perhaps even reverse the effects of disease. We are looking forward to collaborating with ACT to evaluate the potential of the stem cell-derived RPE cells for debilitating diseases such as Stargardt’s macular dystrophy and dry AMD.”

Dry AMD, or “central geographic atrophy,” is the “dry” form of advanced age-related macular degeneration. Dry AMD occurs when the light-sensitive cells (photoreceptors) in the macula slowly break down, gradually blurring central vision in the affected eye. Over time, as less of the macula functions, central vision is gradually lost in the affected eye, often progressing to blindness. The loss of photoreceptors is a direct result of a preceding degeneration of the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) layer of cells just below the retina. As many as 30 million people in the United States and Europe suffer from macular degeneration, which represents a $25-30 billion worldwide market that has yet to be effectively addressed. Approximately 10% of people ages 66 to 74 will have symptoms of macular degeneration, the vast majority suffering from the “dry” form of AMD — which is currently untreatable. The prevalence increases to 30% in patients 75 to 85 years of age.

“We are honoured to have the opportunity to work with one of the foremost eye care centres in the world”, said Gary Rabin, chairman and chief executive officer of ACT. “This clinical trial represents the culmination of years of innovation and hard work by ACT’s scientific team. The whole world is focused on our trials, most especially patients suffering from dry AMD and other forms of macular degeneration. Wills Eye Institute has a strong tradition of innovation and discovery, and we are excited at their participation in bringing this cutting-edge technology through the clinic.”

The RPE is a highly specialized tissue located between the choroids and the neural retina. RPE cells support, protect and provide nutrition for the light-sensitive photoreceptors. Human embryonic stem cells differentiate into any cell type, including RPE cells, and have a similar expression of RPE-specific genes compared to human RPE cells and demonstrate the full transition from the hESC state.