Nanoscope Therapeutics Announces 3 New Appointments to its Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board

Nanoscope Therapeutics Announces 3 New Appointments to its Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board

DALLAS, April 4, 2022 / — Nanoscope Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing gene therapies for retinal degenerative diseases, today announced expansion of its Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board to include three newly appointed members.

“These distinguished physicians and scientists are joining to advise our company in developing groundbreaking optogenetic gene therapies to restore vision in patients with macular degeneration,” said Nanoscope Co-Founder and CEO Sulagna Bhattacharya.

The new members are:

  • Arshad Khanani, MD, MA, Managing Partner, Director of Clinical Research, and Director of Fellowship at Sierra Eye Associates, Reno; and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.
  • Eleonora Lad, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center; Director of the Ophthalmology Clinical Research Unit, and Director of Grading, Duke Reading Center
  • Charles Wykoff, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Research at Retina Consultants of Texas and the Greater Houston Retina Research Foundation; Chairman of the Research and Clinical Trials Subcommittee, Retina Consultants of America; and Deputy Chair of Ophthalmology for the Blanton Eye Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital.

They join current advisory board members David Boyer, M.D.; Sai Chavala, M.D.; Steven Gray, Ph.D.; Jeff Heier, M.D.; Peter Kaiser, M.D.; Stephen Kaminsky, Ph.D.; Vittorio Porciatti, DSc; SriniVas Sadda, M.D.; Michael Singer, M.D.; Stephen Tsang, M.D, Ph.D.; Paul Yang, M.D., Ph.D.; and Thomas Yorio, Ph.D.

“I am excited to work with our advisors to accelerate the pipeline into broader patient populations with geographic atrophies,” said Nanoscope Co-Founder and President Samarendra Mohanty.

Nanoscope’s Multi-Characteristic Opsin (MCO) gene therapy platform is designed to restore vision in patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases regardless of genetic mutations. The company is conducting a Phase 2b multicenter, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled clinical trial in the U.S. for its lead asset targeting retinitis pigmentosa (RP) (NCT04945772). Topline results are expected in Q1 2023. The company also expects to begin Phase 2 clinical trials of a follow-on asset targeting Stargardt macular degeneration in H1-2022. MCO therapy has received orphan drug designations from the FDA for RP and Stargardt.

About Nanoscope Therapeutics Inc.
Nanoscope Therapeutics is developing optogenetic therapies to restore sight in millions of patients blinded by retinal degenerative diseases, for which no cure exists. The company’s pipeline includes therapies for RP, Stargardt, other Inherited Retinal Degenerations, and Geographic Atrophies. For more information visit: https://nanostherapeutics.com/

Contact:
Dan Eramian
Opus Biotech Communications
pr@nanostherapeutics.com
425-306-8716

On April 4, 2022   /   Nanoscope Press Release, Home Page  
Nanoscope Therapeutics, Inc.
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  • Dr. Samarendra Mohanty, PhD |  Co-Founder & President

    Samarendra Mohanty (Co-Founder/President) is an inventor & serial entrepreneur with 20+ years experience in Biomedical Sciences. He is Co-Founder of several Biotechs and Biomedical device /diagnostic companies (developed & commercialized $100K+ biomedical instruments.)

    Samar obtained M.Tech in Applied Optics from the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi and a PhD in (Bio)Physics from the Indian Institute of Sciences-Bangalore.

    His extensive Biomedical Technologies experience includes serving as Professor/Senior Scientist at the University of Texas;  University of California, Irvine; Center for Adv. Tech (India); Int. Mol. Biotech (Germany); Univ. Pavia (Italy); NUS (Singapore); and University of St. Andrews (UK). He has authored over 200 international patents and publications in leading journals including Nature and Nature Photonics.

    He is the Principal Investigator for major grants from the National Eye Institute including Audacious Goal Initiative and Bioengineering Research grants. He serves on the editorial board of journals and chairs an international conference on optogenetics. He is the winner of a 2019 Healthcare Heroes award (Fort Worth Business Press), Retinal Organoid Challenge Award, Audacious Goal Initiative Award (NIH), Finalist of Tech Titan, and NIH-Director’s Innovator Award.