The Company’s ROOT OF SIGHT technology uses three-dimensional retina sheets created from human stem cells, transplanted into the back of the eye, to replace lost retina and improve visual acuity.
| IRVINE, Calif., July 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- AiVita Biomedical, a biotech company specializing in innovative stem cell applications, announced today that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded the Company with $1.7 million in funding to further development of their stem cell-derived three-dimensional retina to treat vision loss. The Company’s ROOT OF SIGHT technology uses three-dimensional retina sheets created from human stem cells, transplanted into the back of the eye, to replace lost retina and improve visual acuity. The forthcoming CIRM-funded study will be conducted in collaboration with the Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at University of California, Irvine, a member of the UCLA-UCI Alpha Stem Cell Clinic (ASCC). The clinic, a collaboration between the two schools, is part of the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinic Network of leading medical centers conducting stem cell clinical trials. The CIRM funding represents a vote of confidence in AIVITA’s ROOT OF SIGHT technology to treat retinal disease. The treatment, manufactured at AIVITA using proprietary human stem cells and intellectual property, takes aim at retinitis pigmentosa and age-related macular degeneration. “We’re honored to be working with the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Network on this promising treatment,” said Dr. Gabriel Nistor, Chief Science Officer of AIVITA Biomedical. “Their functional testing capabilities and our commercially scalable manufacturing methods represent a perfect partnership.” Funding for the new grant comes from CIRM Translational Award TRAN1-10995 entitled “Morphological and functional integration of stem cell derived retina organoid sheets into degenerating retina models.” About Retinal Disease Retinitis pigmentosa affects an estimated 1 in 4,000 people. It is a genetic disease which causes vision loss, decreased night vision and decreased peripheral vision. Macular degeneration, or age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 60 and older. Macular degeneration results in blurred or no vision in the center of the visual field. There are currently no cures for retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration. About AIVITA Biomedical AIVITA Biomedical is a privately held company engaged in the advancement of commercial and clinical-stage programs utilizing curative and regenerative medicines. Founded in 2016 by pioneers in the stem cell industry, AIVITA Biomedical utilizes its expertise in stem cell growth and directed, high-purity differentiation to enable safe, efficient and economical manufacturing systems which support its commercial line of skin care products and therapeutic pipeline. All proceeds from the sale of AIVITA’s ROOT OF SKINTM skin care products support the treatment of women with ovarian cancer.
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