Ocugen Eyes Broad Retinitis Pigmentosa Indication With One Gene Therapy

A public company since its reverse merger with Histogen, Inc. in April 2019, Ocugen Inc. has not walked the smoothest path, but it thinks it can offer significant benefit to retinitis pigmentosa patients with a gene therapy candidate, OCU400, that might be applicable to most or all patients with a disease characterized by more than 150 genetic mutations.

But the Philadelphia-area firm must stay ahead of its financial challenges to bring that lead program and two other gene therapy candidates into the clinic. Despite reaching the public market last year, Ocugen of late has used the at-the-market process to raise equity financing, bringing in $15.4m in June to increase its financial runway through the first quarter of 2021