Big News: $4.7M Grant Awarded to Advance Gene Therapy for Rare Eye Disease

We’re absolutely thrilled to share some exciting news from our team! Dr. Aaron Nagiel, MD, PhD, has been awarded a $4.7 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to push forward a cutting-edge gene therapy for blue cone monochromacy (BCM)—a rare, inherited condition that affects color vision and overall visual function.

This prestigious and highly competitive award highlights the groundbreaking work being done by Dr. Aron Nagiel and the entire team. Their focus? A novel intravitreal AAV-based gene therapy designed to deliver a healthy copy of the L-opsin gene directly to cone photoreceptors in the eye. The goal is nothing short of remarkable: to help restore red and green color vision and improve quality of life for people living with BCM.

This is a major milestone not just for the team, but for the broader community working to treat rare retinal diseases. We’re so proud of this achievement and deeply grateful for the opportunity to continue exploring bold solutions for patients who often have limited treatment options.