Eyestem Presents Interim Phase 2 Data for Eyecyte-RPE™ at EURetina 2026 Conference, Showing Continuing Visual Acuity Gains in Geographic Atrophy

(From L-R) Dr Jogin Desai, CEO and Founder, Eyestem; Dr Rajani Battu, Co-founder and CMO, Eyestem and Dr Rajarshi Pal, Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Eyestem

VoM News Desk | October 5, 2026 | 12:51 PM IST | Health Care, Press Release | Follow on Google News

Eyestem Presents Interim Phase 2 Data for Eyecyte-RPE™ at EURetina 2026 Conference, Showing Continuing Visual Acuity Gains in Geographic Atrophy

India, 05 October 2026: Eyestem Research Private Limited, a pioneering biotechnology company developing advanced scalable cell therapy solutions for blindness caused by dry age-related macular degeneration, announced promising clinical findings from its randomized Phase 2 clinical trial of Eyecyte-RPE™ for Geographic Atrophy (GA) secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The interim results were presented by Dr. Ritesh Narula, Co-Principal Investigator of the trial, at EURetina 2026 in Vienna, Austria.

With the Phase 2 trial progressing, Eyestem is ready to file for its US Investigational New Drug (IND) application in early 2027 for treating Geographic Atrophy and related vision loss.

The randomized controlled Phase 2 trial has recruited 24 subjects, with 15 in the treatment arm and 9 in the natural history control arm.

Eyecyte-RPE™ has shown an excellent overall safety profile in the Phase 2 study consistent with the safety profile in the preceding Phase 1 clinical trial. Seven different surgeons have performed these surgeries using Eyestem’s patent-pending surgical technique.

The visual acuity gains observed in Phase 1 have continued with longer follow-up. Seven subjects have shown an improvement of 13 letters at 12 months follow-up vs. baseline, while four subjects who completed 18 months have maintained an improvement of 15.3 letters.

Eyestem Research Submits IND Approval Application for Groundbreaking AMD Therapy

The visual acuity gains observed in Phase 2 are consistent with those seen in Phase 1, with three subjects who completed six months of follow-up demonstrating a 16-letter gain vs. baseline. 12 subjects completed 6 months across both phases with an average improvement of 13.8 letters.

Commenting on the clinical progress, Dr. Jogin Desai, Founder and CEO, Eyestem, said, “Early results from the Phase 2 clinical study build on the highly promising Phase 1 results, achieving an important milestone for Eyestem’s geographic atrophy program. We are encouraged to see the gains sustained over longer follow-up periods coupled with a good safety profile. Together, these findings give us greater confidence in the potential of Eyecyte-RPE™ to meaningfully change the treatment landscape for patients with geographic atrophy across the world.”

For more information, please visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06394232

About Eyecyte-RPE™

Eyecyte-RPE™, derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), is Eyestem’s proprietary retinal cell therapy product with a novel composition, developed and patented by Eyestem Research. The product can help replace the damaged or lost retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and potentially enable tissue regeneration in the diseased retina. This unique formulation is allogeneic, scalable, and can be stored as a frozen vial for long periods of time.

About Geographic Atrophy

Dry AMD is the leading cause of blindness for people over 50. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that leads to progressive and irreversible loss of central vision, characterised by the death of cells in the macula, the central part of the retina. Approximately 196 million people suffer from dry AMD globally, five million of whom suffer from GA.

About Eyestem Research Headquartered in Bangalore and Delaware, Eyestem Research is a clinical-stage biotechnology company, which was started by a founding team with several decades of experience in pharmaceutical product development, retinal surgery, and cell biology. It has won significant accolades with the most recent one being named the top innovator in India across all sectors in 2022 by the prestigious The Economic Times newspaper. It is also the recipient of several prestigious grants and awards from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and has been feted at high-profile government events as one of the most successful and innovative biotechnology companies in the country.

India, 05 October 2026: Eyestem Research Private Limited, a pioneering biotechnology company developing advanced scalable cell therapy solutions for blindness caused by dry age-related macular degeneration, announced promising clinical findings from its randomized Phase 2 clinical trial of Eyecyte-RPE™ for Geographic Atrophy (GA) secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The interim results were presented by Dr. Ritesh Narula, Co-Principal Investigator of the trial, at EURetina 2026 in Vienna, Austria. With the Phase 2 trial progressing, Eyestem is ready to file for its US Investigational New Drug (IND) application in early 2027 for treating Geographic Atrophy and related vision loss.

The randomized controlled Phase 2 trial has recruited 24 subjects, with 15 in the treatment arm and 9 in the natural history control arm.

Eyecyte-RPE™ has shown an excellent overall safety profile in the Phase 2 study consistent with the safety profile in the preceding Phase 1 clinical trial. Seven different surgeons have performed these surgeries using Eyestem’s patent-pending surgical technique.

The visual acuity gains observed in Phase 1 have continued with longer follow-up. Seven subjects have shown an improvement of 13 letters at 12 months follow-up vs. baseline, while four subjects who completed 18 months have maintained an improvement of 15.3 letters.

The visual acuity gains observed in Phase 2 are consistent with those seen in Phase 1, with three subjects who completed six months of follow-up demonstrating a 16-letter gain vs. baseline. 12 subjects completed 6 months across both phases with an average improvement of 13.8 letters.

Commenting on the clinical progress, Dr. Jogin Desai, Founder and CEO, Eyestem, said, “Early results from the Phase 2 clinical study build on the highly promising Phase 1 results, achieving an important milestone for Eyestem’s geographic atrophy program. We are encouraged to see the gains sustained over longer follow-up periods coupled with a good safety profile. Together, these findings give us greater confidence in the potential of Eyecyte-RPE™ to meaningfully change the treatment landscape for patients with geographic atrophy across the world.”

For more information, please visit: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06394232

About Eyecyte-RPE™

Eyecyte-RPE™, derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), is Eyestem’s proprietary retinal cell therapy product with a novel composition, developed and patented by Eyestem Research. The product can help replace the damaged or lost retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells and potentially enable tissue regeneration in the diseased retina. This unique formulation is allogeneic, scalable, and can be stored as a frozen vial for long periods of time.

READ ALSO: Eyestem Receives CDSCO Approval to Initiate Phase 2 Randomized, Controlled Human Trials of Eyecyte-RPE™

About Geographic Atrophy

Dry AMD is the leading cause of blindness for people over 50. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) that leads to progressive and irreversible loss of central vision, characterised by the death of cells in the macula, the central part of the retina. Approximately 196 million people suffer from dry AMD globally, five million of whom suffer from GA.

About Eyestem Research Headquartered in Bangalore and Delaware, Eyestem Research is a clinical-stage biotechnology company, which was started by a founding team with several decades of experience in pharmaceutical product development, retinal surgery, and cell biology. It has won significant accolades with the most recent one being named the top innovator in India across all sectors in 2022 by the prestigious The Economic Times newspaper. It is also the recipient of several prestigious grants and awards from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and has been feted at high-profile government events as one of the most successful and innovative biotechnology companies in the country.

VoM News Desk

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