In a significant move to advance treatment options for inherited retinal diseases, Verana Health and Nanoscope Therapeutics have announced a strategic collaboration focused on accelerating research for retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The partnership, announced on February 25, 2025, will leverage real-world data from more than 70,000 de-identified patients to enhance the development of innovative gene therapy treatments.
Advancing Gene Therapy Through Real-World Data
The collaboration centers on Verana Health's Qdata® Retinitis Pigmentosa, a comprehensive research-ready dataset that enables detailed analysis of RP patient outcomes. This sophisticated platform goes beyond traditional ICD and SNOMED codes, incorporating crucial variables such as visual acuity and central subfield thickness from electronic health records (EHRs).
The partnership specifically aims to support the development and commercialization of MCO-010, Nanoscope's promising optogenetic gene therapy. This innovative treatment is designed to not only restore vision but potentially slow the progression of neurodegeneration in RP patients, addressing a critical unmet need in the approximately 100,000 Americans affected by this rare inherited condition.
Technological Innovation in Clinical Research
Verana Health's unique position as the exclusive partner of the American Academy of Ophthalmology IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) provides access to the largest specialty society clinical data registry in medicine. The company employs advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to analyze unstructured clinical notes, enabling precise identification of RP patient populations and their treatment outcomes.
"Access to robust data is essential for advancing our gene therapy programs," stated Sulagna Bhattacharya, CEO of Nanoscope Therapeutics. "Verana Health's Qdata Retinitis Pigmentosa offers valuable insights into disease progression, patient demographics, and treatment outcomes, enabling us to refine our clinical development strategies."
Impact on Patient Care and Research
The collaboration represents a significant step forward in the use of real-world data to inform and accelerate therapeutic development. By combining Verana Health's extensive data analytics capabilities with Nanoscope's innovative gene therapy approach, the partnership aims to create more effective and accessible treatments for RP patients.
Sujay Jadhav, CEO of Verana Health, emphasized the importance of this data-driven approach: "Our collaboration underscores how data-driven insights can provide a detailed understanding of patient outcomes and advance the development of new treatments for inherited retinal diseases."
The partnership demonstrates the growing importance of real-world evidence in therapeutic development, particularly for rare diseases where comprehensive patient data can be challenging to obtain. Through this collaboration, both companies are positioning themselves at the forefront of precision medicine in ophthalmology, potentially setting new standards for data-driven drug development in rare disease research.
