Gene therapy improves vision

Patients with the inherited retinal condition, Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), showed improvements in their vision following gene therapy treatment.

Pioneering research revealed that 27 of the 29 patients who were treated with Spark Therapeutics’ Luxturna were able to navigate a maze in low to moderate light.

The results of the study were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (New Orleans, 11-14 November).

Patients in the study group also showed improvements in light sensitivity and peripheral vision.

Luxturna involves treatment with a viral vector that carries a healthy version of the gene into the retina.

In October, an advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) endorsed the treatment. The FDA is expected to make a decision on Luxturna by January 2018.