FYI

Marksu



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Von: Fasser Christina [mailto:cfasser@...]
Betreff: Press release



Dear all



please find enclosed a press release concerning the CNTF trial. Pleease be
so kind and let us know the use of the press release.

Many thanks and kind regards

Christina Fasser

retina Suisse

Retina International

Ausstellungsstrasse 36, CH-8005 Zürich (Switzerland)

Phone +41 (0)44 444 10 77 Fax +41 (0)44 444 10 70

E-mail: cfasser@... www.retina.ch <http://www.retina.ch/>
www.retina-international.org







Press Release

08th January 2006-01-08

Researchers crack drug delivery problem.



Research to treat retinal blinding conditions such as Retinitis Pigmentosa
[RP] and Macular degeneration has been the focus of thousands of researchers
world wide.

Although gene therapy or gene manipulation probably offers the best long
term solution to treating these and other forms of blindness, this
direction is complicated by the hundreds of different genes that have been
implicated in these conditions.

Researchers have been investigating the ameliorating effect of growth
factors on the disease for many years as a short term way of slowing the
progression of the degeneration of the retinal cells.

One of the greatest stumbling blocks has been the problem of delivering
these factors to the eye and specifically to the retina.

The blood retinal barrier protects the eye allowing only the required
nutrients through to the eye.

While protecting the eye from all the bad chemicals we absorb it also bars
any therapeutic drugs from reaching the eye.

Eye drops are a very in-effective way of getting past this barrier and this
led researchers on a quest to devise a more efficient drug delivery system.
Enter the Encapsulated Cell, a miniature polymer device that is implanted
into the eye and releases a constant dosage of the growth factor.

Successful results of a Phase I study of the Encapsulated Cell Technology
trial have just been released.

In this study 10 patients in America with late stage RP had the device
implanted and only removed after six months.

"This little device is hung by a little hook inside the eye out of the path
of vision and it constantly releases CNTF because these engineered cells
are making it," said Dr Caruso one of the researchers involved in this
trail.

Although the study was only meant to test for the safety of the device, on
testing most patients actually had a small improvement in vision as well.

Christina Fasser President of Retina International welcomed the news.
"This study represents the first use of ECT in human eyes and as the devices
were safe and well-tolerated, we know that stage ll and lll trials will
follow shortly. We are eagerly awaiting the results of these further studies
which will help understand the role that CNTF and other growth factors will
play in treating patients with retinitis pigmentosa and other retinal
degenerative conditions. "

Released By:

Claudette Medefindt
Director for Science

Retina South Africa
Cell 083 306 5262

and
Christina Fasser
Retina International
Retina Suisse
Ausstellungsstrasse 36, CH-8005 Zuerich (Switzerland)
Phone +41 (0)44 444 10 77,
Fax +41 (044 4441070
Phone home +41 (0)44 910 76 44
Mobile +41 (0)79 639 88 05
Email: cfasser@... www.retina.ch <http://www.retina.ch/>
www.retina-international.org <http://www.retina-international.org/>

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