January 30, 2026
1 min read
Key takeaways:
- ER-100 is the first cellular rejuvenation therapy to receive clearance for human clinical trials.
- A phase 1 study will focus on open-angle glaucoma and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy.
Life Biosciences plans to begin human clinical trials of a cellular rejuvenation therapy in optic neuropathies after receiving FDA clearance of an investigational new drug application, according to a press release.
ER-100 aims to modify the epigenome of cells to restore injured cells without changing their underlying DNA sequence, according to the release.
Life Biosciences plans to begin human clinical trials of a cellular rejuvenation therapy in optic neuropathies after receiving FDA clearance of an investigational new drug application.
“For eye care providers, ER-100 represents a fundamentally new approach to treating optic neuropathies as it targets retinal ganglion cell health rather than focusing on downstream factors such as intraocular pressure,” Sharon Rosenzweig-Lipson, PhD, chief scientific officer at Life Biosciences, told Healio. “In diseases like open-angle glaucoma, clinicians often see continued neurodegeneration despite standard-of-care management, leaving limited options once damage has begun. In nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, there are no approved treatments.”
The company said ER-100 is the first therapy of its kind to receive FDA clearance to begin human clinical trials. Life Biosciences will enroll participants with open-angle glaucoma and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in a phase 1 study to assess the therapy’s safety, tolerability, immune responses and impact on visual assessments, according to the release.
Sharon Rosenzweig-Lipson
“In the near term, Life Biosciences is focused on executing the phase 1 clinical study, with an emphasis on safety and then exploratory efficacy readouts,” Rosenzweig-Lipson said. “These data will guide dose selection and inform the design of subsequent studies. We believe our partial epigenetic reprogramming platform has broad potential beyond the eye, and preclinical data already suggest applicability beyond ophthalmology, including in metabolic and liver diseases.”
Sources/Disclosures
Source:
Press Release
Disclosures:
Rosenzweig-Lipson reports being chief scientific officer at Life Biosciences.
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