GenSight Biologics, Pixium Vision and Fondation Voir et Entendre Join Forces and Benefit From a Total 18.5 Million …

GenSight Biologics, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the development of gene therapy based treatments for retinal degenerative diseases, Pixium Vision (FR0011950641 - PIX), a company developing innovative Vision Restoration Systems (VRS) to allow patients who have lost their sight to lead more independent lives, and Fondation Voir et Entendre, a foundation for scientific cooperation aiming to boost the scientific and medical potential of the Institut de la Vision to meet the sensory challenges of hearing and vision impairments, join forces and announce that the SIGHT AGAIN project will receive a total of 18.5 million funding over five years as part of the Investment for the Future.

SIGHT AGAIN, a collaborative research and development project, aims to restore vision to legally blind patients with retinitis pigmentosa at different stages. Retinitis pigmentosa is a rare and inherited disease, a group of genetic disorders that affect the retina and is characterized by progressive bilateral photoreceptor degeneration leading to blindness. Globally, more than 1.5 million people are affected by this irreversible disease, for which there is no cure to stabilize or restore vision.

Coordinated by GenSight Biologics, SIGHT AGAIN aims to develop two complementary therapeutic products to restore vision: anoptogeneticgene therapy product and a Vision Restoration Systemwith a retinal implant, PRIMA. Although different in their technology and targeting distinct stages of the disease, both approaches use a common visual interface. This unique visual stimulation device is in the form of goggles and enables the image capture, their processing and projection on the retina. With dedicated specifications for each developed product, the device will help restore visual function in the retina of patients to transmit visual information to the brain. Rehabilitation protocols will be developed specifically to allow patients to learn how to use and interpret this new form of vision.

"This project is based on a unique public - private partnership. The synergy of skills and expertise with the commitment, passion of all partners should enable technological advances to validate the first treatment of blindness by Optogenetics. This treatment would provide direct clinical benefit for legally blind patients." said Jean Philippe Combal, Chief Operating Officer of GenSight Biologics.

"After the success of our recent IPO, we are delighted to have the support of Bpifrance under this new public-private collaboration. This project should encourage the development of unique and innovative solutions and bring real benefits to patients. It is also a further recognition of the relevance of the technology in the PRIMA system, developed by Pixium Vision," said Bernard Gilly, Chairman and founder of Pixium Vision.

"Fondation Voir et Entendre, which unites the scientific and clinical research teams from Institut de la Vision involved in SIGHT AGAIN, opens a new way for active collaboration between research, clinical and industrial development, in order to accelerate therapeutic innovation and rapid translation of treatments to answer patients' need," explains Professor Jos-Alain Sahel, Director of Fondation Voir et Entendre. "The Institut de la Vision, one of the first centers in the world of integrated research on eye diseases, created in 2008 and part of the national eye hospital XV-XX, will be one of the major academic players."

"SIGHT AGAIN is a project that Bpifrance is proud to have managed on behalf of the State, as part of the Investment for the Future" adds Paul-Franois Fournier, Executive Director in charge of Innovation at Bpifrance. "Supporting technological and clinical excellence and development of young innovative start-up companies, specifically here in ophthalmology in France, will ensure the growth and sustainability of the sector while creating economic and scientific value in the area."

SIGHT AGAIN has been selected to the call for projects "Projects Structuring Competitiveness" as part of the Investment for the Future and will receive a total of 18.5 million funding. These grants and refundable advances will be distributed specifically between the three partners of the project. The estimated overall budget of SIGHT AGAIN, also including private investment, is 47 million.

SIGHT AGAIN could revolutionize the treatment of blindness due to retinal degeneration and bring unique and innovative solutions to patients who have a very high unmet medical need. The project will contribute to create in France a sector of excellence in ophthalmology and will generate synergies and technological advances in other industries, in health (neuroscience) and non-health related sectors (robotics, automotive etc.).

On behalf of the State, Bpifrance manages a 280 million public fund dedicated to co-finance "Projects Structuring Competitiveness" (PSPC) as part of the action called "Financing of innovative firms, strengthening competitiveness clusters ". This public fund aims to support R & D projects that will generate direct economic and technological benefits in the form of new products, services and technologies, and indirect benefits in terms of sustainability of industrial sectors.

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GenSight Biologics, Pixium Vision and Fondation Voir et Entendre Join Forces and Benefit From a Total 18.5 Million ...