Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on gene therapies for retinal degenerative diseases, presented key results from its Phase 2 clinical trial, STARLIGHT, at the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) 2023 annual meeting in Seattle.
The trial evaluated the effects of their novel therapeutic, MCO-010, for patients with Stargardt disease, a condition currently lacking available treatments.
Key results from the STARLIGHT clinical trial:
- Patients treated with MCO-010 demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA)
- An approximate 3 dB gain in mean sensitivity, as measured by Octopus visual field perimetry
- No serious adverse events (SAEs) were observed in patients treated with MCO-010 in this study
“I appreciated the opportunity to present on the promising results of Nanoscope’s Phase 2 STARLIGHT clinical trial. With no current treatment options, MCO-010 may bring hope to those patients with severe vision loss due to Stargardt disease by restoring broadband light sensitivity,” said Allen Ho, MD, professor of Ophthalmology at Thomas Jefferson University and Attending Surgeon, director of Retina Research and co-director of the Retina Service at Wills Eye Hospital.
“We are thrilled to have had Dr. Allen Ho present the Phase 2 STARLIGHT clinical trial data at this year’s ASRS. MCO-010 is advancing our proprietary AAV gene therapy platform with the potential to improve vision for patients with Stargardt disease and other inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). These results offer promising prospects for addressing this challenging disease,” said Sulagna Bhattacharya, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder of Nanoscope.
About Stargardt disease
Stargardt disease is a rare inherited eye disorder caused by fatty deposits in the macula, leading to center field loss of vision. It affects approximately 8,000-10,000 patients in the U.S., often with symptoms beginning in childhood or adolescence. Currently, there are no FDA-approved treatments.
About Nanoscope Therapeutics, Inc.
Nanoscope Therapeutics is developing gene-agnostic, sight restoring optogenetic therapies for the millions of patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases, for which no cure exists. The company’s lead asset, MCO-010, recently reported topline results from the RESTORE Phase 2b multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trial in the U.S. for retinitis pigmentosa (NCT04945772). The company has also fully enrolled a Phase 2 STARLIGHT trial of MCO-010 therapy in Stargardt patients (NCT05417126). MCO-010 has received FDA Fast Track designations and FDA orphan drug designations for both RP and Stargardt. Preclinical assets include non-viral laser delivered MCO-020 gene therapy for geographic atrophy.