Ram Palanki, PharmD, VP of commercial strategy and operations for REGENXBIO, has been involved in the development and launch of at least two groundbreaking treatments: Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech/Roche) and Macugen (pegaptanib).

If all goes well in clinical trials, Dr. Palanki could soon add one more to his extensive CV: a one-time gene therapy designed to treat age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy (DR). 

A master of back-of-the-eye product development and commercialization, Dr. Palanki sits down with OIS podcast host Firas Rahhal, MD, to discuss the history of retinal disease treatments and the potential of gene therapy to address early- and later-stage disease.

He hopes REGENXBIO’s lead product, RGX-314, helps resolve the adherence issues that plague anti-VEGF drugs, the current standard of care. Currently in Phase III trials, RGX-314 introduces a trans gene that can encode for a therapeutic protein for life—a concept REGENXBIO is exploring for the first time. Clinical trials also show a potential benefit for DR. Interim data show about 50% of patients demonstrated a two-step or greater improvement in visual acuity from baseline at six months after a single dose.           

Listen to the podcast today to hear Dr. Palanki and Dr. Rahhal discuss:

• What it was like to be involved in the groundbreaking Lucentis and Macugen launches.
• How REGENXBIO plans to solve the sustainability problem that arose with the advent of anti-VEGF therapies.
• The history, mechanism of action, and route of administration behind RGX-314, REGENXBIO’s lead program.
• The strength of RGX-314’s adeno-associated viral vector (AAV) and other novel AAV vectors (NAV) technology platform.
• The philosophy behind REGENXBIO’s DR program, including the potential of treating healthy eyes with RGX-314.
• How Dr. Palanki’s responsibilities differ between development and commercialization.

Click “play” to listen.