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Paris, France, and Cambridge, Mass., United States, April 24, 2023 – Eyevensys, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, announces a scientific presentation at the 2023 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting in New Orleans, LA.

The presentation reported data showing the efficacy and durability of EYS809, a dual-gene plasmid in development for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). EYS809 is delivered via Eyevensys’ groundbreaking electrotransfection technology and encodes both aflibercept, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein, and decorin, an anti-fibrotic native protein that targets choroidal neovascularization (CNV), vascular leakage, and subretinal fibrosis.

The EYS809 dual plasmid is developed as a first-in-class treatment, resulting in production of the well-established anti-VEGF protein, aflibercept, as well as decorin, a promising candidate. Decorin has been found to play key roles in inhibiting angiogenic factors and regulating various pathways involved in retinal diseases, including the formation of CNV, retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) barrier breakdown, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of RPE cells, which contribute to subretinal fibrosis in wet AMD. In a rat model of persistent CNV, EYS809 outperformed intravitreal aflibercept, demonstrating ongoing reduction in both vascular leakage and CNV lesions. Additionally, EYS809 significantly promoted repopulation of the RPE over the CNV lesion, indicating its potential to promote disease regression and reduce the need for retreatment.

These preclinical results support the growing body of evidence that decorin is a key target in halting the pathogenesis of retinal diseases. EYS809 is unique in integrating both the decorin pathway and the established anti-VEGF pathway and has the potential to deliver improved treatment outcomes for patients wet AMD.

“We are pleased to add these data to a growing body of evidence in support of EYS809 for the treatment of wet AMD, suggesting improvements in efficacy and durability with our dual plasmid over standard intravitreal aflibercept,” said Francine Behar-Cohen, MD, PhD, founder and chief innovation officer at Eyevensys.

Eyevensys’ proprietary electrotransfection system and non-viral plasmids also uniquely target the ciliary muscle, resulting in sustained protein expression directly in the choroid and vitreous—a novel and promising treatment approach to retinal diseases. The design of the electrotransfection device has been clinically validated and optimized in collaboration with retinal specialists and ophthalmic engineers for intuitive use. This unique drug delivery platform ideally addresses the unmet medical need for long-lasting treatments for eye diseases.

“The Eyevensys DNA plasmids and electrotransfection platform use the ciliary muscle to induce sustained production of therapeutic proteins,” said Sunil Srivastava, MD, a retina specialist in

Cleveland, OH, with experience using the Eyevensys system. “This has great potential in the treatment of chronic, sight-threatening diseases like wet AMD.

The presentation details are as follows:

Session Title:		Efficacy and durability of EYS809 non-viral gene therapy in nAMD preclinical models
Presenter:		Francine Behar-Cohen, MD, PhD, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Eyevensy
Presentation type/Number:		Paper Session #204

More information about the meeting may be found via the 2023 ARVO Annual Meeting website https://www.arvo.org/annual-meeting/.

About Eyevensys

Eyevensys is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its innovative technology to enable the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins to treat a broad range of ophthalmic diseases. The Eyevensys technology, developed by Dr. Francine Behar-Cohen in Paris, uses electroporation to deliver proprietary non-viral DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle of the eye to allow continued production and extended treatment benefit. The novel, minimally-invasive treatment holds promise as a durable alternative to repeat intravitreal or subretinal injections for retinal diseases.

Non-viral DNA plasmids currently in the pipeline include EYS809 for wet AMD and EYS611 for geographic atrophy.

Eyevensys was founded in 2008. The company has offices in Paris, France and the U.S. For more information on Eyevensys and its clinical pipeline, please visit www.eyevensys.com

Paris, France, and Cambridge, Mass., United States, May 11, 2022 — Eyevensys, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, today provided highlights from the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2022 Annual Conference held in Denver, Colorado. In addition to its participation in the event, Eyevensys also held a successful meeting with principal investigators involved in its clinical trials evaluating EYS606, a plasmid DNA encoding an anti-TNFα protein for non-infectious uveitis (NIU).  

Principal investigators, including the study’s coordinating investigators, reviewed data from two clinical trials, a Phase I/II and a Phase II called ELECTRO, conducted in NIU subjects. These studies were designed to demonstrate, for the very first time in humans, the safety of plasmid administration into the ciliary muscle using Eyevensys’ proprietary Electrotransfection Platform. These two studies treated 18 subjects. There were 15 subjects with late-stage disease who were treated in France and the United Kingdom, and three subjects with active NIU who were treated in the United States. 

Overall, several subjects showed biological activity post EYS606 treatment. This includes two out of the three US subjects whose disease signs and symptoms improved after treatment with EYS606. Dr. Srivastava, a uveitis Key Opinion Leader, qualified these two improvements as non-expected for this disease population and related to the EYS606 treatment. Furthermore, no circulating anti-drug antibodies (ADA) against the anti-TNFα protein were reported suggesting an absence of any immune reaction.  

In a separate meeting, the DSMB members concluded that no safety concerns were associated with the EYS606 plasmid or the Eyevensys Electrotransfection Platform.  

These first-in-human studies allowed Eyevensys to collect information enabling optimization of the platform, which includes an ocular device and an electrical pulse generator.  

The design optimization was done in collaboration with medical device manufacturers Phillips-Medisize and Minnetronix Medical, and medical device designer Kaleidoscope.  

“We are especially pleased about these positive clinical trial results,” said Patricia Zilliox, Chief Executive Officer at Eyevensys. “These results provide strong evidence that our electrotransfection platform has the potential to treat other retinal diseases such as wet and dry AMD with less frequent treatments.” 

During the conference Pr. Francine Behar-Cohen, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Eyevensys presented a paper that highlighted EYS809, the Company’s promising candidate for wet AMD subjects. As part of her abstract presentation, Pr. Behar-Cohen discussed the fact that subretinal fibrosis, favored by recurrence of exudation, leads to irreversible vision loss in wet AMD subjects. Specifically, she spoke about the effect of Decorin (DCN) on choroidal neovascularization (CNV) fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a rat model of CNV. Her results concluded that DCN is a promising candidate for wet AMD subjects on top of anti-VEGFs therapies. 

“Eyevensys is developing EYS809, a DNA plasmid that encodes for aflibercept and decorin, to benefit subjects diagnosed with wet AMD, a chronic eye disorder that causes blurred vision or a blind spot in the visual field. The abstract presented showed that DCN reduces the volume of established CNV and its fibrotic scarring. This adds to the growing evidence in support of the EYS809 candidate,” said Dr. Behar-Cohen. 

Eyevensys’ unique non-viral gene therapy platform provides a wide range of treatment options with the potential to address a variety of ophthalmic diseases, both rare and common, some with no previously approved treatment. During the conference, Eyevensys also presented two poster presentations that evaluated the protective effects of Transferrin, another asset of the company, on various ex vivo and in vivo models of dry AMD and glaucoma. 

About Eyevensys 

Eyevensys is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its innovative technology to enable the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins to treat a broad range of ophthalmic diseases. 

The Eyevensys technology, developed by Pr. Francine Behar-Cohen, uses electroporation to deliver proprietary DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle of the eye. This approach induces the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins. 

Eyevensys is advancing a dual gene plasmid, EYS809, expressing two therapeutic proteins, a potent VEGF inhibitor and an endogenous protein with anti-angiogenic and antifibrotic properties for the treatment of wet AMD which also has the potential be a treatment for diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and central retinal vein occlusion. 

Eyevensys is also developing EYS611, a treatment for the later stages of dry AMD and for retinitis pigmentosa and potentially other retinal degenerative conditions including glaucoma. The treatment encodes for a potent iron chelator with antioxidant and endogenous neuroprotective properties. In animal models, the treatment has been shown to be safe and effective at slowing the degeneration of retinal structure and preserving function. EYS611 has been granted Orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa in the EU and in the US. 

Eyevensys was founded in 2008. The company has offices in Paris, France and the U.S. The company is funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Pureos Bioventures, Bpifrance through the Innobio Fund, Karista, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Pontifax, Global Health Sciences Fund, and Korean Investment Partners. 

For more information about Eyevensys, please visit www.eyevensys.com. 

Eyevensys is open for discussions for co-development or licensing opportunities. 

Media Relations Contact: 

Jeanene Timberlake
RooneyPartners
[email protected]  
+1 646.770.8858

PARIS & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Eyevensys, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases today announced that the company will be presenting preclinical data on its two lead candidates for geographic atrophy (GA) and wet AMD at the upcoming Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2022 Annual Meeting. The conference will be held May 1-4, 2022 in Denver, Colorado. ARVO is the world’s leading conference in ophthalmology where researchers from academia and industry can meet to share the latest developments in science and therapeutic development.

ARVO will also hold its annual meeting in a virtual format from May 11-12, 2022. A replay of the webcast will be available for 90 days following the event.

The presentation details are as follows:

Poster Presentation:		Transferrin protects RPE cells from oxidative damages
Date and Time:		May 1, 2022 from 12:15 PM to 2:15 PM MDT
Presenter:		Jenny Youale
Session Title:		AMD and diabetic retinopathy
Poster Number:		# F0098
Poster Presentation:		Transferrin confers neuroprotection in ex vivo and in vivo glaucoma rat models
Date and Time:		May 2, 2022 from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM MDT
Presenter:		Karine Bigot
SessionTitle:		Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration
Poster Number:		# A0427
Oral Presentation:		Decorin for choroidal neovascularization fibrosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of retinal pigment epithelium
Date and Time:		May 4, 2022 from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM MDT
Presenter:		Francine Behar-Cohen
Session Title:		Subretinal fibrosis – clinical challenges, mechanism, and diagnostic tools
Room:		2B/3C Mile High Blrm

About Eyevensys

Eyevensys is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its innovative technology to enable the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins to treat a broad range of ophthalmic diseases.

The Eyevensys technology, developed by Pr. Francine Behar-Cohen, uses electroporation to deliver proprietary DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle of the eye. This approach induces the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins.

Eyevensys is advancing a dual gene plasmid, EYS809, expressing two therapeutic proteins, a potent VEGF inhibitor and an endogenous protein with anti-angiogenic and antifibrotic properties for the treatment of wet AMD which also has the potential be a treatment for diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and central retinal vein occlusion.

Eyevensys is also developing EYS611, a treatment for the later stages of dry AMD and for retinitis pigmentosa and potentially other retinal degenerative conditions including glaucoma. The treatment encodes for a potent iron chelator with antioxidant and endogenous neuroprotective properties. In animal models, the treatment has been shown to be safe and effective at slowing the degeneration of retinal structure and preserving function. EYS611 has been granted Orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa in the EU and in the US.

Eyevensys was founded in 2008. The company has offices in Paris, France and the U.S. The company is funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Pureos Bioventures, Bpifrance through the Innobio Fund, Karista, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Pontifax, Global Health Sciences Fund, and Korean Investment Partners.

For more information about Eyevensys, please visit www.eyevensys.com.

Contacts

Jeanene Timberlake
RooneyPartners
[email protected]
+1 646.537.5649

Manufacturing of Eyevensys’ core ocular device and electrical pulse generator technology covered under a new collaboration

PARIS & CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Eyevensys, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, today announces it has entered into strategic engagements with US-based medical device manufacturers Phillips-Medisize and Minnetronix Medical to develop the next generation of the company’s core technology.

Eyevensys has developed a non-viral gene therapy ocular drug delivery platform with a proprietary Electrotransfection System designed to deliver DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle and sustainably treat major eye diseases. Both components of the Electrotransfection System, the electrical pulse generator and the ocular device, are included in the multi-year engagements established with Eyevensys.

Eyevensys has embarked on the development of a new generation of system devices focusing on optimizing their ease-of-use and manufacturability. Phillips-Medisize will be responsible for Ocular Device design optimization and the high-volume manufacturing capability to support the commercial launch, and Minnetronix Medical will fulfill the same responsibilities for the Pulse Generator component. Work at both contract manufacturers has been initiated.

Alan Wirbisky, Director of Device Development at Eyevensys, said: “The opportunity to collaborate with both Minnetronix Medical and Phillips-Medisize is incredibly significant for Eyevensys given the capabilities and experience that the two companies possess. As we look to transition our attention to our other programs for wet AMD, geographic atrophy, retinitis pigmentosa and glaucoma, we are thrilled to have the support of these outstanding cohorts. We’re also grateful for the longtime support of our two French manufacturing partners – Cisteo Medical, Besancon, France the developer and manufacturer of the current generation Ocular Devices as well as Valotec, Villejuif, France developer of the current Pulse Generator. Both companies have been instrumental in Eyevensys achieving its early goals.”

Benjamin Austin, Director of Business Development at Minnetronix Medical, said: “We are beyond excited to partner with Eyevensys to help bring their next-generation Pulse Generator to market. During our 25 year history, we have successfully partnered with many medical startups like Eyevensys to navigate the pitfalls of electromechanical medical device development. The project team will be comprised of medical device engineers who specialize in electroporation, RF, and stimulator generator development as their core competencies.”

Paul Chaffin, President of Phillips-Medisize, said: “At Phillips-Medisize, we create solutions to help people live healthier, more productive lives and Eyevensys proprietary Electrotransfection System has the potential to do just that. We are honored to bring our decades of design and manufacturing experience to optimize the Ocular Device component for mass production. Phillips-Medisize brings a team with proven expertise in end-to-end design with a focus on quality, risk management, and scalability that will mutually benefit this promising collaboration.”

About Eyevensys

Eyevensys is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its innovative technology to enable the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins to treat a broad range of ophthalmic diseases.

The Eyevensys technology, developed by Pr. Francine Behar-Cohen, uses electroporation to deliver proprietary DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle of the eye. This approach induces the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins.

Eyevensys is advancing a dual gene plasmid, EYS809, expressing two therapeutic proteins, a potent VEGF inhibitor and an endogenous protein with anti-angiogenic and antifibrotic properties for the treatment of wet AMD which also has the potential be a treatment for diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and central retinal vein occlusion.

Eyevensys is also developing EYS611, a treatment for the later stages of dry AMD and for retinitis pigmentosa and potentially other retinal degenerative conditions including glaucoma. The treatment encodes for a potent iron chelator with antioxidant and endogenous neuroprotective properties. In animal models, the treatment has been shown to be safe and effective at slowing the degeneration of retinal structure and preserving function. EYS611 has been granted Orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa in the EU and in the US.

Additionally, Eyevensys has developed EYS606 as a potential new treatment for patients with chronic non-infectious uveitis (NIU). The therapy has been used to validate the proprietary Electrotransfection System, which in the case of EYS606, is combined with plasmids encoding for the production of a potent fusion protein which neutralizes the activity of TNFα, a cytokine that has been shown to play a pivotal role in mediating intraocular inflammation in NIU. EYS606 has been granted an orphan drug designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of NIU.

Eyevensys was founded in 2008. The company has offices in Paris, France and the U.S. The company is funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Pureos Bioventures, Bpifrance through the Innobio Fund, Karista, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Pontifax and the Global Health Sciences Fund, Korean Investment Partners.

For more information about Eyevensys, please visit www.eyevensys.com.

About Minnetronix Medical

Since 1996, Minnetronix Medical has accelerated medical device breakthroughs via design, development and manufacturing services for companies around the world. The experienced Minnetronix team works side-by-side with customers to successfully navigate increasingly complex medical device development and commercialization in the fluid and gas management, optical systems, RF/EM energy, and stimulation and active wearables markets. The company is currently developing a portfolio of solutions that advance treatment options, prevent secondary injury and enhance healing for patients in the Neuro ICU. Minnetronix Medical is based in St. Paul, Minn. More information can be found on the Minnetronix website, by calling 651-917-4060 or emailing [email protected].

Contacts

Media Relations:
Jeanene Timberlake
RooneyPartners
[email protected]
+1 646.770-8858

Paris, France, and Cambridge, Mass., United States, August 04, 2021 – Eyevensys, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, today announces it has raised $12M in a Series B Plus funding round. Korea Investment Partners is leading the Series B Plus financing and existing investors will also join the round.  

The financing will support Eyevensys’ accelerated development of its EYS809 program for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a chronic eye disorder that causes blurred vision or a blind spot in the eye. The condition accounts for approximately 90 percent of all AMD-related blindness. Additionally, the company will advance its EYS611 program targeting geographic atrophy (GA) and retinitis pigmentosa.

The Eyevensys technology is a non-viral gene therapy ocular drug delivery platform that uses an Electrotransfection System to deliver DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle to sustainably treat major eye diseases. This turns the eye into a biofactory, allowing the ciliary muscle to express and secrete the therapeutic protein to the back of the eye at therapeutic levels for a duration of greater than 6 months.

Eyevensys has validated its electrotransfection technology in the clinic through its EYS606 program for non-infectious uveitis, a sight-threatening intraocular inflammatory condition characterized by inflammation of the uvea. This same Electrotransfection System will be used to deliver relevant therapeutic proteins to the eye for Eyevensys’ other EYS809 and EYS611 programs.

“We’re thrilled to announce this funding round, which will help us move forward in our mission to develop life-changing solutions for patients with debilitating eye diseases,” said Dr. Patricia Zilliox, CEO of Eyevensys. “We are also excited to have the support of Korea Investment Partners and our existing investors as we pivot to refocus on our additional programs focused on wet AMD and retinitis pigmentosa. This funding will allow us to demonstrate that treating ophthalmic conditions doesn’t have to be invasive and risky, and that our approach is more convenient than other intraocular drug delivery approaches.”

Sangwoo Lee, Managing Director of Korea Investment Partners, said: “Eyevensys’ non-viral gene therapy platform is both highly innovative and meets important medical needs. We are thrilled to join Eyevensys in advancing its mission to treat eye diseases.”

Wedbush PacGrow acted as the exclusive placement agent for the Series B Plus financing. 

About Korea Investment Partners

Korea Investment Partners (KIP) is South Korea’s leading venture capital and private equity firm with over 35 years of experience investing in bold and innovative entrepreneurs who want to change the world. KIP manages over 20 venture and private equity funds with over $3.3 billion AUM. The company operates globally from its Seoul headquarters office with other locations in the US, China, and Singapore. 

http://www.kipvc.com

About Eyevensys

Eyevensys is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its innovative technology to enable the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins to treat a broad range of ophthalmic diseases.

The Eyevensys technology, developed by Pr. Francine Behar-Cohen, uses electroporation to deliver proprietary DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle of the eye. This approach induces the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins.

Eyevensys is advancing a dual gene plasmid, EYS809, expressing two therapeutic proteins, a potent VEGF inhibitor and an endogenous protein with anti-angiogenic and antifibrotic properties for the treatment of wet AMD which also has the potential be a treatment for diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and central retinal vein occlusion.

Eyevensys is also developing EYS611, a treatment for the later stages of dry AMD and for retinitis pigmentosa and potentially other retinal degenerative conditions including glaucoma. The treatment encodes for a potent iron chelator with antioxidant and endogenous neuroprotective properties. In animal models, the treatment has been shown to be safe and effective at slowing the degeneration of retinal structure and preserving function. EYS611 has been granted Orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa in the EU and in the US.

Additionally, Eyevensys has developed EYS606 as a potential new treatment for patients with chronic non-infectious uveitis (NIU). The therapy has been used to validate the proprietary Electrotransfection System, which in the case of EYS606, is combined with plasmids encoding for the production of a potent fusion protein which neutralizes the activity of TNFα, a cytokine that has been shown to play a pivotal role in mediating intraocular inflammation in NIU. EYS606 has been granted an orphan drug designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of NIU.

Eyevensys was founded in 2008. The company has offices in Paris, France and the U.S. The company is funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Pureos Bioventures, Bpifrance through the Innobio Fund, Karista, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Pontifax and the Global Health Sciences Fund.

For more information about Eyevensys, please visit www.eyevensys.com.

Media Relations Contact:

Jeanene Timberlake
RooneyPartners
[email protected]
+1 646.770-8858

Paris, France, and Cambridge, Mass., United States, February 15, 2021 – Eyevensys, a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing non-viral gene therapies for ophthalmic diseases, today announced it has been accepted into the French Tech 120 program for 2021.

This government-backed program, run by La French Tech, offers support for 120 French startups considered late-stage and in a hypergrowth phase. Participating companies benefit from a variety of initiatives designed to support the needs of companies in this stage, such as unlimited access to government, public and ministry services, as well as tailored services from partner agencies. Participants will also benefit from collaboration with the French Tech 120 community, and a needs analysis that will help shape future regulations.

“We are honored to be chosen for the French Tech 120 program, and excited about the opportunities that this presents for our growing company as we move to build on the achievements and learnings from our early-stage trials validating our sustained ocular drug delivery technology platform which harnesses the power of gene therapy to deliver therapeutic proteins to the back of the eye for at least 6 months or more,” said Patricia Zilliox, PhD, President and CEO. “As we continue to move forward with our programs, including our work in wet AMD and retinitis pigmentosa, we are thrilled to have the backing of the La French Tech program to help move us closer to our goal of offering patients more convenient and less invasive treatment options for these and other conditions.”

The company has developed an Electrotransfection System, novel medical devices that use electroportation to deliver proprietary DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins to the ciliary muscle of the eye. The Eyevensys technology turns the eye into a biofactory, allowing the ciliary muscle to produce the therapeutic protein. The secreted protein reaches the back of the eye, including the retina and choroid.

Early versions of the Electrotransfection System were recently validated in early-stage trials of EYS606 targeting the treatment of chronic non-infectious uveitis. Further optimized versions of the technology will be introduced for subsequent development programs, including Eyevensys’ priority development project EYS809, which is being developed for Wet AMD, and EYS611, which will initially target retinitis pigmentosa. Studies for these therapies in development are in the pre-clinical and IND-enabling stages, respectively.

Eyevensys Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Francine Behar-Cohen, MD, PhD, will discuss the Eyevensys pipeline and the company’s proprietary technology application as part of the OIS Gene Therapy Showcase taking place February 18, 2021.

About Eyevensys

Eyevensys is a privately held, clinical-stage biotechnology company developing its innovative technology to enable the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins to treat a broad range of ophthalmic diseases.

The Eyevensys technology, developed by Pr. Francine Behar-Cohen, uses electroporation to deliver proprietary DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle of the eye. This approach which induces the sustained intraocular production of therapeutic proteins was developed to reduce the need for repeated intravitreal injections and to expand treatment options for back of the eye diseases.

Eyevensys is  advancing a dual gene plasmid, EYS809, expressing two therapeutic proteins, a potent VEGF inhibitor and an endogenous protein with anti-angiogenic and antifibrotic properties  for the treatment of wet AMD which also has the potential be a treatment for diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular edema and central retinal vein occlusion.

Eyevensys is also developing EYS611, a treatment for Retinitis Pigmentosa and potentially other retinal degenerative conditions including glaucoma and the later stages of Dry AMD. The treatment encodes for a potent iron chelator with antioxidant and endogenous neuroprotective properties. In animal models, the treatment has been shown to be safe and effective at preserving and slowing the degeneration of retinal structure and function.  EYS611 has been granted Orphan drug designation for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa in the EU and in the US.

Additionally, Eyevensys has developed EYS606 as a potential new treatment for patients with chronic non-infectious uveitis (NIU). The therapy has been used to validate the proprietary Electrotransfection System, which in the case of EYS606, is combined with plasmids encoding for the production of a potent fusion protein which neutralizes the activity of TNFα, a cytokine that has been shown to play a pivotal role in mediating intraocular inflammation in NIU. EYS606 is currently being investigated in two ongoing clinical trials,  a phase I/II study in the EU and the Electro Study, a phase II clincal trial in the US.   EYS606 has been granted an Orphan drug designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of NIU.

Eyevensys was founded in 2008. The company has offices in Paris, France and the U.S. The company is funded by the Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, Pureos Bioventures, Bpifrance through the Innobio Fund, CapDecisif, Inserm Transfert Initiative, Pontifax and the Global Health Sciences Fund.

For more information about Eyevensys, please visit www.eyevensys.com.

Media Relations Contact:
Marion Janic, RooneyPartners
[email protected]
+1-212-223-4017