Eyestem Analysis, a Bengaluru- and US-based biotech firm, is engaged on a cell remedy. It might restore imaginative and prescient for sufferers with retinal ailments. Its lead program, Eyecyte-RPE, targets Geographic Atrophy (GA), the superior stage of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This illness is a serious reason behind blindness in folks over 50. Globally, 19.6 crore folks dwell with AMD, with almost 50 lakh affected by GA.
In June 2025, Eyestem introduced Section 1 trial leads to India. The trials confirmed no main uncomfortable side effects and indicators of imaginative and prescient restoration. Eight out of 9 sufferers skilled enhancements. Some sufferers have been in a position to learn massive print and acknowledge faces. The information has been submitted to India’s drug regulator, CDSCO. A Section 2 trial with about 33 sufferers will start quickly. Eyestem additionally plans to file with the US FDA in 2026 to run trials in each India and the US.
The corporate has raised $20 million to this point, together with a $10 million spherical in 2025. This spherical was backed by Organic E, Alkem, and NATCO. Whereas out-licensing is an choice, Eyestem says it’s nicely funded. The corporate needs to remain unbiased for now.
A key problem is whether or not the bigger Section 2 trial meets its targets. If profitable, Eyestem might have a pricing edge. They estimate its remedy at $50,000 per dose—half the projected $100,000 of competitor Lineage Cell Therapeutics. One other US firm, Luxa Biotechnology, is engaged on an identical remedy. Nevertheless, particulars stay unclear.
If Eyestem succeeds, it might be a serious milestone for Indian biotech. This reveals its means to maneuver from analysis to real-world therapies. Nonetheless, a lot depends upon the upcoming medical trials.
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