Programing the Body to Make Its Own Medicine with Gene Therapy

Most people think of gene therapies as a way to replace a mutated gene with a copy that functions properly. But gene therapies are also being developed as a way to get the body to produce therapeutic proteins. AbbVie in September announced a strategic partnership with RegenxBio to develop and commercialize the company’s experimental gene therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration and other eye conditions. The one-time treatment, delivered to the eye, encodes for an antibody fragment designed to inhibit VEGF like the antibodies ophthalmologists regularly inject into the eyes of patients to treat the condition. We spoke to Ken Mills, CEO of RegenxBio, about wet-age macular degeneration, the company’s collaboration with AbbVie, and the potential to use gene therapy to alter the way patients with this and other eye conditions are treated.