Neurotech S.A., a specialist in the discovery, development and commercialization of cell-based therapies in the central nervous system and the eye, announces the successful conclusion of a series of pre-clinical trials designed to prove the efficacy of its Encapsulated Cell Therapy (ECT) applied to retinal degeneration, and to validate the company's ability to manufacture the devices to a high standard.

The technology represents a high potential for addressing many ophthalmic conditions leading to blindness.

The trials consisted of implanting a small device containing neurotrophic factor producing cells close to the retina in an animal model of Retinitis Pigmentosa. The other eye was used as a control to monitor the normal rate of retinal degeneration. Retinal degeneration takes place very rapidly in this animal model and after seven weeks, the devices, which caused no signs of discomfort after implantation, were withdrawn. The results showed a statistically significant protection against retinal degeneration in the treated eye compared to the untreated eye, and also that the cells inside the device were still viable and were continuing to produce the active agent, a neurotrophic factor. The neurotrophic factor has the effect of protecting photoreceptors in the eye from degenerating.

"This is a big step forward for Neurotech because we have optimized and improved the cell encapsulation technology acquired earlier in the year for delivery into the eye and have shown that we can apply it in practice in-vivo," said Dr Tom Shepherd, CEO of Neurotech. "We have had strong support and encouragement from the Foundation Fighting Blindness, whose latest annual reports cites this technology as one of two promising areas of development."

The Foundation Fighting Blindness helps stimulate research in a number of ways and has directly supported Neurotech. In the recently published annual report of the FFB, Dr Jerry Chader, chief scientific officer, cites two industry partnerships that the FFB views as particularly promising and through which "The Foundation can further accelerate the pace of research". One of these two is around the Neurotech ECT device.

ECT technology involves placing specially modified cells into a tiny capsule that is then implanted in the eye close to the retina. The cells in the capsule have been genetically manipulated to produce therapeutic amounts of a specific neurotrophic factor.

The ECT capsule contains pores that are large enough to allow oxygen and nutrients to diffuse in, and to allow the therapeutic factor to diffuse out, but are small enough to prevent the cells inside the capsule from escaping and to stop the immune cells of the host from entering. Thus the cells are maintained in a healthy state for a long time, protected from the host immune system, but can continually produce the therapeutic factor locally in the eye.