Ray Therapeutics Receives $8M CIRM Grant to Advance RTx-015 Gene Therapy for Retinitis Pigmentosa

BERKELEY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Ray Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on optogenetic gene therapies for vision restoration, today announced an $8 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). This funding will support the ongoing clinical development of RTx-015 for retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a progressive inherited retinal disease causing blindness.

Ray Therapeutics’ approach uses an optimized optogenetic gene therapy to deliver light-sensitive proteins to the retina, aiming to restore visual function in RP patients regardless of the specific genetic mutation.

“Retinitis pigmentosa remains a devastating condition with no approved treatments for most patients,” said Paul Bresge, CEO & Co-Founder, Ray Therapeutics. “We are deeply grateful to CIRM for their belief in our science and their continued support. We are honored to partner with them to advance therapies with the potential to transform patients’ lives.”

“Restoring vision significantly improves quality of life,” said Jonathan Thomas, PhD, JD, President and CEO, CIRM. “Ray Therapeutics is advancing a potential breakthrough treatment for a critical unmet need in advanced RP, for which there are currently no options, for people in California and globally. We are proud to support this promising program.”

CIRM’s scientific and patient advocate reviewers unanimously supported Ray Therapeutics’ gene therapy program, recognizing its exceptional scientific merit and high potential impact. CIRM’s independent Grants Working Group (GWG) gave the application the highest scores from all 15 reviewers.

About Retinitis Pigmentosa

RP is a genetic disease causing gradual photoreceptor degeneration, leading to significant vision loss or blindness. Symptoms include night blindness, reduced visual fields, and eventual loss of visual acuity, with diagnosis often occurring in the first decades of life. It affects over half a million people worldwide, and currently, no effective treatment is available.

About Ray Therapeutics

Ray Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing optogenetic therapies to restore vision in patients with severe retinal degeneration. Their approach delivers a bioengineered, highly light-sensitive protein to targeted retinal cells, aiming to improve visual function irrespective of the underlying genetic mutation. The company’s lead candidate, RTx-015, targets retinal ganglion cells and is in a Phase 1 clinical trial for retinitis pigmentosa and choroideremia. A second program, RTx-021, targeting retinal bipolar cells, is in late-stage preclinical development for Stargardt disease and geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration.