A $12.4 million award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is the latest round of support for USC researcher Mark Humayun. It also represents a milestone for USC researchers whose stem cell patch is under development to treat advanced dry age-related macular degeneration, which can cause blindness.

By Tran Courtney and Helen Immerso

A stem cell patch developed by USC researchers for patients with macular degeneration will soon be tested in a phase 2b clinical trial.

This latest milestone in the patch’s development was made possible by a combined $21 million in support from a state organization, a nonprofit foundation and the university. Last month, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded an estimated $12.4 million to the USC-supported startup Regenerative Patch Technologies (RPT) to test the safety and efficacy of the patch for treating advanced dry age-related macular degeneration, also known as “geographic atrophy.”

The award from CIRM, a state institute that supports research to address unmet medical needs, is the latest round of funding for the startup. USC and The Marcus Foundation were also influential in the award. (…Read More)