Eyestem: Restoring Vision, Renewing Lives
- vkb3670
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
India bears nearly one-fifth of the world’s blind population, with over 4.4 million people living with complete blindness and another 50 million suffering from low vision. In a country where cataracts and retinal diseases are leading causes, the shortage of donor tissues and limited treatment options leave countless individuals without hope. Eyestem Research, a Bangalore-based biotech firm, is pioneering a stem-cell-based therapy aimed at regenerating damaged retinal cells to reverse certain kinds of blindness.
Founded in 2015 by Dr. Jogin Desai, Dr. Rajani Battu, and Dr. Dhruv Sareen, Eyestem Research began with a clear mission: to harness the potential of stem cells to treat retinal degeneration. Initially supported by a ₹5 crore grant from India’s Department of Biotechnology (DBT), the founders set up a GMP-compliant stem cell facility in Bengaluru. Their goal was to develop scalable, affordable treatments that could be administered at major eye centers, including those in Delhi.
Core Technology & Offerings
At the heart of Eyestem’s innovation is the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to generate retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells—the layer of cells in the eye responsible for nourishing and maintaining photoreceptors.
RPE Cell Therapy: Eyestem’s lead candidate, ES-RPE001, involves injecting 100,000–200,000 lab-grown RPE cells beneath the retina.
Clinical Trials: In partnership with AIIMS Delhi and Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital, Eyestem has enrolled 30 patients in its Phase I/II trials, monitoring safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy.
Manufacturing Scale: Their Bangalore facility can produce up to 5 million RPE cells per month, enough to treat 1,000 patients annually once commercialized.
Impact in India & Delhi
While many treatments remain unaffordable for India’s middle class, Eyestem aims to price ES-RPE001 at ₹3–4 lakh per treatment—less than half the cost of similar therapies in the West. In Delhi:
Collaborations: AIIMS Delhi has referred over 100 patients for screening; 50% met the eligibility criteria for the trial.
Awareness Programs: Eyestem has conducted 10+ workshops in Delhi hospitals and NGOs to educate ophthalmologists and patients about stem cell therapies for retinal diseases.
Patient Outcomes: Early data shows 60% of treated patients reporting improved visual acuity by 1–2 lines on the Snellen chart after six months.
Challenges & Growth
Despite promising results, Eyestem faces notable hurdles:
Regulatory Landscape: Navigating India’s evolving cell therapy regulations requires close collaboration with the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and adherence to stringent GMP/GLP standards.
Patient Recruitment: Finding eligible patients for trials—those with specific forms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or retinitis pigmentosa—has meant screening over 300 individuals to enroll 30.
Scale-Up Costs: Expanding manufacturing to treat thousands will require an estimated ₹50 crore investment in additional clean-room capacity.
Future Plans: From Trials to Treatment Centers
Eyestem’s roadmap includes:
Phase III Trials (2026–27): Scaling up to 200 patients across 5 centers, including Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai.
Commercial Launch (2028): Aiming to roll out ES-RPE001 in major eye hospitals in Delhi NCR, backed by partnerships with VisionSpring and Fortis Healthcare.
Pipeline Expansion: Developing treatments for other retinal disorders, like diabetic retinopathy, and exploring 3D-printed retinal organoids for drug screening.
Conclusion
By focusing on affordable, locally produced stem cell therapies, Eyestem Research is positioned to transform the treatment landscape for retinal blindness in India. With successful trials underway in Delhi and ambitions to scale nationally, Eyestem brings the promise of restored sight—and a brighter future—to millions who once saw no hope.
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