Neurotech eye implant moves to final testing

LINCOLN – Neurotech Pharmaceuticals Inc. will move into the final stage of development on eye implant NT-501, after a second round of clinical trials ended with positive results.
NT-501 was developed for the treatment of “dry,” or atrophic, age-related macular degeneration (AMD). It’s a disease that can leave its victims with only their peripheral vision, rendering the center of their sight line a black hole, according to the Macular Degeneration Partnership, an advocacy group.
If the final stage of testing goes well Neurotech, which focuses on the development of treatments for chronic eye diseases, can seek approval for the technology from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Neurotech has been presenting its findings at conferences this spring.
NT-501 consists of genetically-modified cells which can fight off AMD. Neurotech said the second round of trials found that NT-501 stabilized or slowed the loss of vision in patients with the disease.
Neurotech – which grew out of the former CytoTherapeutics Inc., a Providence-based pharmaceutical startup – decided to expand its Rhode Island operations last year after the R.I. Economic Development Corporation approved a $4 million financing deal for the company. &#8226