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A UK biotechnology company is developing a gene therapy that could make treatment for a common eye disease much simpler and more accessible. Ikarovec has partnered with VectorBuilder to create a version of its experimental therapy that can be injected directly into the eye in a doctor's surgery, avoiding the need for more invasive hospital procedures. If the collaboration progresses as planned, the deal could eventually be worth more than $1 billion.
The treatment, known as IKAR-003, is being developed for intermediate age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a condition that currently has no approved therapies and can progress to severe forms of vision loss. The one-off gene therapy is designed to protect retinal cells while also reducing harmful inflammation, with the aim of slowing or preventing disease progression.
To achieve this, VectorBuilder will apply its engineered viral delivery technology to allow the therapy to be administered through a minimally invasive injection into the vitreous of the eye. This approach could make gene therapy far easier to deliver than existing treatments, which often require specialised surgery.
Although the treatment is still in preclinical development, the partnership reflects growing efforts to make gene therapies more practical and widely available. If successful, it could pave the way for convenient, one-time treatments for common eye diseases that can be delivered in routine clinical settings rather than operating theatres.
