Opus Genetics in Durham, North Carolina, has announced grants totaling $1.7 million from the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) to advance preclinical studies for two gene-therapy candidates that could be used in treating blindness caused by retinal degenerative diseases.

Awarded through FFB’s Translational Research Acceleration Program, a grant of $1 million will be used to conduct a preclinical safety study for a gene therapy vector designed to target rhodopsin-mediated autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa, which affects one in 51,000 people worldwide and 6,000 in the United States. An additional award of $700,000—the initial component of a broader collaboration between Opus and FFB—will support the preclinical development of a novel viral vector for treating retinitis pigmentosa caused by mutations in the proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase MER gene.

“We’re excited to announce our funding commitment to Opus,” said Foundation Fighting Blindness CEO Jason Menzo. “We’re propelling forward promising clinical candidate programs with the potential to revolutionize the lives of those affected by these challenging conditions.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Alexander-Ford)