TOPADUR Pharma AG, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical start-up company developing first-in-class drugs for aging diseases, today announced that together with the University Hospital / University of Zurich has been awarded a 607K CHF Innosuisse grant to develop a new therapeutic approach to treat diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is a severe complication of diabetes and a leading cause of blindness in working-age adults. High blood glucose levels lead to endothelial dysfunction, vascular damage, leakage of the blood-retinal barrier and insufficient oxygen supply to the retina. Among diabetic patients, the global prevalence of DR is estimated to be around 35%, of which a third have vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy. Diagnosis is often delayed until after the retina is severely damaged. Current treatments can slow the progression of the disease but there is no cure and vision cannot be restored.

“We are extremely thankful for the support we have received from Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency, who awarded the grant”, said Reto Naef, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO at TOPADUR Pharma AG. “This project will support our R&D activities in ophthalmology. We will collaborate with a renowned investigator in the retina biology field from UZH and focus on developing a breakthrough therapy for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and other retinal eye diseases”, commented Dr. Naef.