Pfizer signs macular degeneration research deal

Pfizer has announced it has entered into a collaboration with Quark Biotech, under which it has acquired an “exclusive worldwide” licence for the novel RTP-801 gene and any molecules that alter its function or expression.

The RTP-801 gene has been targeted as a factor in causing “wet” age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading blindness-causing disease in the developed world. It is characterised by the formation of an abnormal network of leaky blood vessels beneath the retina, resulting in fluid and blood retention in the surrounding areas that affects visual acuity.

Scientists believe that they can “silence” the RTP-801 using RNA interference technology, which has also been used in recent times in developing treatments for a wide variety of diseases.

Martin Mackay, Pfizer’s senior vice president of worldwide research and technology, stated: “Despite advances in research and the availability of new treatment options, there remains a need for new approaches to improve the lives of patients with AMD.”

He added that he was “excited” about the potential of the RTP-801 gene to help preserve the vision of patients affected by wet AMD.

Wet AMD accounts for roughly 10 per cent of all AMD cases, according to the Royal National Institute of the Blind. The dry form of the disease is comparatively slow in progressing, marked by a gradual loss of central vision.

Smoking, sunlight exposure, genetic predisposition, gender and nutrition may all have an effect on the development of the disease, the institute claims.