FDA approves ENCELTO, a first-of-its-kind eye implant that slows vision loss in rare eye disease Cell-based therapy with roots at Scripps Research offers new hope for patients with macular telangiectasia type 2.
June 04, 2025
LA JOLLA, CA For people diagnosed with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel) a rare and slowly progressing retinal disease there have been no FDA-approved (or other) treatments to slow or stop vision loss. That changed on March 6, 2025, with the approval of ENCELTO (revakinagene taroretcel-lwey), a surgically implanted device designed to preserve sight in people with this condition.
Developed by the biotech company Neurotech Pharmaceuticals, ENCELTO's origins stem from a long-standing partnership between the Scripps Research lab of physician-scientist Martin Friedlander and the Lowy Medical Research Institute. This marks the 17th FDA-approved therapy to emerge from work at Scripps Research. The device is expected to be available to U.S. patients in June 2025.
The Lowy family's commitment to finding a treatment through their extraordinary support of the MacTel Project and the Lowy Medical Research Institute combined with the work produced by Scripps Research, Neurotech, and an international consortium of scientists and clinicians is a testament to the power of collaboration and the importance of basic science in developing effective treatments for debilitating diseases, says Friedlander, whose research, along with that of others, helped pave the way for ENCELTO.
MacTel affects the central part of the retina, which is essential for sharp, detailed vision. People with the disease often have trouble reading, recognizing faces or seeing fine detail symptoms that gradually worsen over time. To slow this progression, ENCELTO delivers a steady dose of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a naturally occurring protein that supports the survival and health of nerve cells including photoreceptors in the retina. CNTF acts as a neuroprotectant, meaning it helps shield these cells from damage to delay the degenerative process.
The FDA's approval was supported by two phase 3 clinical studies showing that the ENCELTO implant slowed the loss of light-sensing retinal cells in people with MacTel over a 24-month period. Devices removed from patients eyes after as long as 14.5 years still produced levels of CNTF comparable to what they were producing at the time of implantation, suggesting the device should remain efficacious well beyond the 2 years observed in the trials. This is being examined further in extended phase 4 trials.
This is the first time a cell-based therapy delivering a neuroprotectant has been approved to treat a neurodegenerative disease, notes Friedlander.
Now president of the Lowy Medical Research Institute, Friedlander played an active role in shaping ENCELTO's scientific foundation and helped lay the groundwork for its clinical development through earlier work from his Scripps Research team.
MacTel was initially believed to be a blood vessel disorder because early imaging showed abnormal, leaky capillaries near the center of the retina. But Friedlander and his lab helped reveal that the real issue was neurodegeneration the gradual death of photoreceptors and supporting glial cells. In a key proof-of-concept study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation in 2009, they showed that gene therapy could be used to deliver a neuroprotectant directly to the retina in a preclinical model resembling the disease, effectively slowing or preventing cell loss.
This early success paved the way for further development of ENCELTO. A few years later, a member of the Lowy family was diagnosed with MacTel. The family's search for a treatment became the driving force behind developing a lasting, targeted therapy for MacTel which would eventually become ENCELTO.
Building on his 2009 findings, Friedlander began looking for a way to deliver CNTF to patients in a safe and sustained manner. He reconnected with Neurotech a company he had worked with in the 1990s to explore utilizing one of its devices originally developed to treat other retinal conditions. Together, they explored the use of a tiny, collagen-based capsule containing genetically modified retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells, which help nourish the retina and support photoreceptor health. Once implanted in the back of the eye, the device releases CNTF in a controlled, long-term way while shielding RPE cells from attack by the body's immune system.
ENCELTO is also being evaluated for neurovascular degenerative conditions beyond MacTel. Friedlander's lab is now exploring its potential to deliver other therapeutic molecules for diseases such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.
The retina is an extension of the brain, so this also implies that a neuroprotectant could be used to prevent neurodegeneration in other diseases, says Friedlander.
He adds that ENCELTO's success is the culmination of years of research, persistence and problem-solving by many people from the earliest lab studies to the final stages of clinical testing.
Theres no greater satisfaction for a clinician-scientist than to be able to find a treatment that will potentially impact hundreds of thousands of patients, says Friedlander. Its tremendously rewarding to take something from the lab bench and actually bring it to the bedside.
Neuroscience Friedlander, Martin
Most recent headlines
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
16/10/2025
Parks Associates has released new data showing that nearly half (45%) of U.S. internet homes watch free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) services and 89% of U.S...
16/10/2025
TROY, Mich. -New data from J.D. Power's 2025 U.S. Residential Internet Service Provider Study shows that residential wireless internet providers are growing...
15/10/2025
Across the world, early-career reporters are interrogating systems that shape daily life, from mortuaries and classrooms to the corridors of legal education and...
15/10/2025
St. Louis Blues Pay Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne in New Pregame Open VideoThe NHL franchise worked with production firms 2WEI and 4th Floor CreativeBy Mark J Burns,...
15/10/2025
Cobalt Digital, G3DVu, Proxima Vision, and Telos Alliance Renew Premier Sponsors...
15/10/2025
By Paige Bethmann
Before my grandmother passed away in 2019, I went to visit her in the hospital where she'd been for a few weeks. When I arrived, the nurs...
15/10/2025
Two years ago, Spotify set out to grow the entire publishing industry by making ...
15/10/2025
People turn to DJ for a listening experience that feels personal, dynamic, and j...
15/10/2025
Las personas recurren a DJ para vivir una experiencia de escucha personal, din m...
15/10/2025
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen and luminary actor Jeremy Allen White came togethe...
15/10/2025
At Spotify, we're all about supporting rising talent and helping them connec...
15/10/2025
New SBS Documentary Series THE CANCER KILLERS Premieres 4 November on SBS & SBS ...
15/10/2025
SBS celebrates the Festivals of Lights with bold, illuminating stories across th...
15/10/2025
One of humanity's most profound questions continues: Is there any place in our galaxy suitable for life beyond Earth? NASA intends to find out, with the hel...
15/10/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
15/10/2025
Scality, a global leader in cyber-resilient storage software for the AI era, today announced the advancement of its comprehensive AI ecosystem certification pro...
15/10/2025
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) today unveiled key highlights of the 2026 HPA Tech Retreat, scheduled for Feb. 15 19 at the Westin Rancho Mirage Go...
15/10/2025
At NAB Show New York 2025 (Stand 244), Interra Systems will showcase the future of media QC, monitoring, and captioning, highlighting its award-winning, AI- and...
15/10/2025
Grass Valley today announced that RMC BFM, part of the CMA-CGM Group and France's third-largest private media group, has chosen Grass Valley's productio...
15/10/2025
Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future of hybrid, s...
15/10/2025
Rakim to Join Berklee's Hip-Hop Hall of Fame at Signature Series Concert The rap icon becomes the latest inductee, following luminaries such as Roxanne Sh...
15/10/2025
Berklee Brings Live Music to the Head of the Charles Student artists will perform on multiple riverfront stages during the 60th anniversary of the world's...
15/10/2025
CobbTV, the government access television channel for Cobb County, Ga. recently acquired an automated playout system from Pebble, a global provider of automation...
15/10/2025
OSLO, Norway Appear, the global leader in live production technology, will demonstrate how its powerful hardware and software innovations are shaping the future...
15/10/2025
NEW YORK The NBA is making major changes to the NBA App and NBA TV as it takes control of them from TNT Sports, which has long managed the league's digital ...
15/10/2025
SAN MATEO, Calif. In what promises to be a major expansion of interactive features and personalized content on the DirecTV platform, the operator and Glance hav...
15/10/2025
SAN JOSE, Calif. Roku has launched changes to its user interface (UI) that the streaming platform says will better showcase original programming on the platform...
15/10/2025
LOS ANGELES Software-defined data storage and data services provider OpenDrives has elevated Alex Dunfey to chief technology officer, responsible for driving th...
15/10/2025
Abu Dhabi, UAE October 15, 2025: Space42 (ADX: SPACE42), the UAE-based AI-powe...
15/10/2025
Sheldon Nichols and Will Trickett to find and prepare more classic cars for budget conscious would-be owners from Wiser Films
UKTV have recommissioned the clas...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
Nick Cave
JPEG (275 KB)
Explore the creative univer...
15/10/2025
Wednesday 15 October 2025
From breaking up with your partner to quitting your job - new polling shows some messages are just too scary to send
Over a fifth (...
15/10/2025
Rohde & Schwarz unveils compact MXO 3 oscilloscopes with 4 and 8 channels: Advan...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Revenge Series The Resurrected' Captivates Audiences Across Asia
Entertainment
15 October 2025
GlobalTaiwan
Link copied to clipboard
...
15/10/2025
Back to All News
Bringing the Best in VFX and Virtual Production Together as Eyeline
Jeffrey Shapiro
CEO, Eyeline
Business
15 October 2025
GlobalCanadaInd...
15/10/2025
Deployed by Astound Business Solutions, Harmonic's Primary Distribution Solution Ensures Outstanding Video Quality and Seamless Ad Insertion at the Edge
SA...
15/10/2025
Collaboration extends a trusted relationship as RMC BFM invests in scalable, fut...
15/10/2025
Series coming in 2026 stars Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'Mara released today
RT today released first look images of new comedy-drama ...
14/10/2025
SVG Europe Summit 2025: All Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAYNetworking event that preceded IBC2025 shone a light on elite live sports innovation acro...
14/10/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Author Rich Podolsky on Writing Madden & Summerall: How They Revo...
14/10/2025
SVG All-Stars: Michael Reiners, Coordinating Producer, FloRacingThe Illinois State grad steers a vast schedule of motorsports events at tracks across the countr...
14/10/2025
Content protection: Getting the right management for your DRM By Neal Romanek
Friday, October 10, 2025 - 10:11
Print This Story
Eluvio power the EPCR'...
14/10/2025
As League Takes Over Ops, NBA TV and NBA App Add 60 Games, Weekday Studio Show, ...
14/10/2025
Time and effort: World's largest student-led broadcast prepares to go On Air...
14/10/2025
(L-R) Guest, Kimberly Robinson Jones, Geeta Gandbhir, Pamela Dias, and Takema Ro...
14/10/2025
Lossless ist jetzt mit Spotify Premium verf gbar.
Verlustfreies Audio war eine...
14/10/2025
La qualit Lossless est disponible sur Spotify Premium.
Le format sans perte de...
14/10/2025
For the seventh edition of Spotify and FC Barcelona's artist jersey series, ...
FDA approves ENCELTO, a first-of-its-kind eye implant that slows vision loss in rare eye disease Cell-based therapy with roots at Scripps Research offers new hope for patients with macular telangiectasia type 2.
