Retinal Degeneration
Recent clinical, regulatory, research and industry developments relating to this disease.
Gene Therapy for Retinal Degenerative Diseases: Progress, Challenges, and Future Directions.
Microglia in Retinal Degeneration.
Beneficial effects on vision in patients undergoing retinal gene therapy for choroideremia.
The human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter superfamily.
What's happening now
An analyst briefing on current research, clinical, regulatory and industry activity surrounding this disease.
- 5 regulatory approvals from EMA on record.
- 4 clinical trials expected to report results, the earliest in Q4 2027.
- Q4 2027Efficacy of Dapagliflozin in the Progression of Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration
- Q1 2028A Repeat-Dose, Open-Label, Two Arm Safety and Efficacy Study of Two Doses of VP-001 (30 μg and 75 μg) Administered Intravitreally in Participants With Confirmed PRPF31 Mutation-Associated Retinal Dystrophy, Including Participants Previously Treated With VP001 in the PLATYPUS Study (Protocol # VP001-101) or WALLABY Study (Protocol # VP001-102) for a Minimum of 8 Weeks
- Q1 2028Oral Metformin for Treatment of ABCA4 Retinopathy
- Q4 2029A Phase 1/2a Study of Subretinal Administration of OpCT-001 Photoreceptor Precursor Cells Derived From iPSCs in Patients With Primary Photoreceptor Disease
Clinical MilestonesViewHide
- 2026-07-06A Phase 1/2a Study of Subretinal Administration of OpCT-001 Photoreceptor Precursor Cells Derived From iPSCs in Patients With Primary Photoreceptor DiseaseResults expected Q4 2029
- 2026-06-29Oral Metformin for Treatment of ABCA4 RetinopathyResults expected Q1 2028
- 2026-05-29A Repeat-Dose, Open-Label, Two Arm Safety and Efficacy Study of Two Doses of VP-001 (30 μg and 75 μg) Administered Intravitreally in Participants With Confirmed PRPF31 Mutation-Associated Retinal Dystrophy, Including Participants Previously Treated With VP001 in the PLATYPUS Study (Protocol # VP001-101) or WALLABY Study (Protocol # VP001-102) for a Minimum of 8 WeeksResults expected Q1 2028
- 2025-12-18Efficacy of Dapagliflozin in the Progression of Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular DegenerationResults expected Q4 2027
- 2025-12-31The Efficacy and Safety of Minocycline for Chronic Autoimmune UveitisPrimary completion
- 2025-10-01Randomized, Double-blind, Parallel, Active Controlled Study to Compare Efficacy & Safety Between Ranibizumab 10mg/ml Injection of Incepta and Lucentis in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema by ITV InjectionPrimary completion
Regulatory UpdatesViewHide
- 2025-09-15Approval — AfliberceptEyluxvi is indicated for adults for the treatment of- neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV) (see section 5.1).
- 2025-08-18Approval — AfliberceptAfiveg is indicated for adults for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (see section 1), visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO) (see section 5.1), visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME) (see section1), visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV) (see section 5.1).
- 2025-08-18Approval — AfliberceptMynzepli is indicated for adults for the treatment of- neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD),- visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO),- visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME),- visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV)
- 2025-08-14Approval — AfliberceptEiyzey is indicated for adults for the treatment of- neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV) (see section 5.1)s.
- 2025-08-14Approval — AfliberceptVgenfli is indicated for adults for the treatment of- neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD),- visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO),- visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME),- visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV).
- 2026-07-06ClinicalA Phase 1/2a Study of Subretinal Administration of OpCT-001 Photoreceptor Precursor Cells Derived From iPSCs in Patients With Primary Photoreceptor DiseaseResults expected Q4 2029
- 2026-06-29ClinicalOral Metformin for Treatment of ABCA4 RetinopathyResults expected Q1 2028
- 2026-05-29ClinicalA Repeat-Dose, Open-Label, Two Arm Safety and Efficacy Study of Two Doses of VP-001 (30 μg and 75 μg) Administered Intravitreally in Participants With Confirmed PRPF31 Mutation-Associated Retinal Dystrophy, Including Participants Previously Treated With VP001 in the PLATYPUS Study (Protocol # VP001-101) or WALLABY Study (Protocol # VP001-102) for a Minimum of 8 WeeksResults expected Q1 2028
- 2025-12-31ClinicalThe Efficacy and Safety of Minocycline for Chronic Autoimmune UveitisPrimary completion
- 2025-12-18ClinicalEfficacy of Dapagliflozin in the Progression of Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-Related Macular DegenerationResults expected Q4 2027
- 2025-10-01ClinicalRandomized, Double-blind, Parallel, Active Controlled Study to Compare Efficacy & Safety Between Ranibizumab 10mg/ml Injection of Incepta and Lucentis in Patients With Diabetic Macular Edema by ITV InjectionPrimary completion
- 2025-09-15RegulatoryApproval — AfliberceptEyluxvi is indicated for adults for the treatment of- neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV) (see section 5.1).
- 2025-08-18RegulatoryApproval — AfliberceptAfiveg is indicated for adults for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (see section 1), visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO) (see section 5.1), visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME) (see section1), visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV) (see section 5.1).
- 2025-08-18RegulatoryApproval — AfliberceptMynzepli is indicated for adults for the treatment of- neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD),- visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO),- visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME),- visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV)
- 2025-08-14RegulatoryApproval — AfliberceptEiyzey is indicated for adults for the treatment of- neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to macular oedema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (branch RVO or central RVO) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema (DME) (see section 5.1),- visual impairment due to myopic choroidal neovascularisation (myopic CNV) (see section 5.1)s.
Therapeutic landscape
Therapies with a regulatory footing for this condition, alongside the wider set of agents co-studied with it in the literature.
Approval — Eyluxvi is indicated for adults for the treatment of- neovascular (wet) age-related macul… (2025)
Clinical trials
The current development programme across all trial phases.
Regulatory timeline
Drug regulatory events matched to this condition by indication — EMA.
European Medicines Agency (CC BY 4.0). Events are matched to this condition by drug indication text — approvals/updates for drugs indicated for it, not disease-specific acts.
Research activity
Key research shaping understanding of this disease, combining the latest publications with the most influential evidence.
Major themes2
- Genetic Therapy1
- Retinal Degeneration1
Leading journals4
- Frontiers in immunology1
- Investigative ophthalmology & visual science1
- Journal of lipid research1
- Nature medicine1
Leading researchers8
- Akhtar-Schaefer I1
- Barnard AR1
- Black GC1
- Chimini G1
- Dean M1
- Dotiwala F1
- Downes SM1
- Drag S1
Affiliations (unnormalised)6
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne1
- Chronic Diseases Research Centre1
- Clinical Neurosciences Group1
- Laboratory for Experimental Immunology of the Eye1
- Laboratory of Genomic Diversity1
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine1
Reference
Authoritative identity, definition & identifiers.
A retrogressive pathological change in the retina, focal or generalized, caused by genetic defects, inflammation, trauma, vascular disease, or aging. Degeneration affecting predominantly the macula lutea of the retina is MACULAR DEGENERATION. (Newell, Ophthalmology: Principles and Concepts, 7th ed, p304)
- Disease identity & definition — NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), public domain
- Clinical trials — ClinicalTrials.gov (U.S. National Library of Medicine)
- Research activity — Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI) + OpenAlex-derived paper links
- Related entities are derived from literature co-mention (studied together) — associative, not causal.