Allergan has acquired “substantially all” of the assets of RetroSense Therapeutics, a private, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on novel gene therapy approaches to restore vision in patients suffering from blindness. Under the terms of the all-cash transaction, Allergan has paid RetroSense a $60 million upfront payment and has agreed to potential regulatory and commercialization milestone payments related to its lead development program, RST-001, being touted as a novel gene therapy for the potential treatment of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).

The disease belongs to a group of rare, inherited genetic disorders characterized by progressive peripheral vision loss and night vision difficulties followed by eventual central vision loss and blindness in many cases. “The acquisition of RetroSense and its RST-001 program builds on Allergan's deep commitment to eye care and our focus on investing in game-changing innovation for retinal conditions,” said Allergan CEO Brent Saunders.

RST-001, the acquired company’s first-in-class gene therapy application of optogenetics, offers a therapeutic approach that confers light sensitivity to cells that were not previously, or natively, light sensitive. In 2014, RST-001 received an Orphan Drug Designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of RP.

“The program and its optogenetic gene therapy approach could be a real breakthrough in the treatment of unmet needs across a host of retinal conditions, including RP,” said David Nicholson, Allergan’s chief R&D officer.