Drug-maker Sun Pharmaceutical and US-based Intrexon Corporation have entered into an alliance to develop controllable gene-based therapies for the treatment of eye-related diseases that cause partial or total blindness. The joint venture will initially target dry age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa, a note from Sun said.

Sun Pharma brings to the venture its capabilities and experience in developing and manufacturing complex dosage forms and specialty pharmaceuticals for niche therapy areas.

The venture will have access to Intrexon’s full suite of proprietary synthetic biology technologies, including the RheoSwitch Therapeutic System platform, a clinically validated method for controlling the location, concentration and timing of protein expression, the note said.

The platform addresses a long-standing limitation of current approaches by enabling patients to receive a targeted biologic therapy without having to endure a lifetime of injections, it added.

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