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LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / March 01, 2018 / Active-Investors.com has just released a free research report on Ophthotech Corp. (NASDAQ: OPHT). If you want access to this report all you need to do is sign up now by clicking the following link www.active-investors.com/registration-sg/?symbol=OPHT as the Company's latest news hit the wire. On February 27, 2018, the Company, which is a biopharmaceutical organization specializing in the development of novel therapies for age-related and orphan diseases of the eye, declared that it has begun an innovative gene therapy research collaboration aimed at applying novel gene therapy technology to discover and develop next-generation therapies for the treatment of ocular diseases. Register today and get access to over 1000 Free Research Reports by joining our site below:

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Active-Investors.com is focused on giving you timely information and the inside line on companies that matter to you. This morning, Ophthotech most recent news is on our radar and our team decided to put out a fantastic report on the company that is now available for free below:

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Collaboration Agreements with University of Massachusetts Medical School and Horae Gene Therapy Center

Ophthotech has initiated a series of sponsored research agreements with the University of Massachusetts Medical School ("UMMS") and its Horae Gene Therapy Center. Through this collaboration, Ophthotech will be able to utilize their minigene therapy approach and other innovative gene delivery technologies to treat ocular diseases. The UMMS aims to advance the health of the people of the Commonwealth through pioneering education and research.

Guangping Gao, PhD, Professor of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, and Director of the Horae Gene Therapy Center, and Hemant Khanna, PhD, Associate Professor of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, will lead the collaboration. Dr. Gao is a forerunner in the development of innovative adeno-associated virus (AAV) family for gene therapy, while Dr. Khanna has research expertise on molecular mechanism of inherited ocular disorders and novel treatment approaches for same. Dr. Gao asserted that his team at the Horae Gene Therapy Center aims to develop the next generation of gene delivery technology to offer the most efficient and safe gene transfer to patients. Dr. Khanna also shared that the translatability of any therapeutic strategy must be based on sound scientific premise and various validation steps. Their team at the Horae Gene Therapy Center and the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences is in an exclusive position to meet these requirements for developing treatments of retinal degenerative diseases.

Under this research agreement, the UMMS has granted an option to Ophthotech to acquire an exclusive license to any patents or patent applications that are created on the basis of this research.

About the Minigenes Strategy

A minigene is a compact version of a gene in which regions have been removed without affecting protein function. Minigenes help determine whether disease-causing mutations or single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) affect splicing efficiency.

The use of minigenes as a novel therapeutic strategy would help deliver a shortened but functional form of a large gene packaged into a standard-size AAV delivery vector, which is normally used in gene therapy. This innovative therapy offers solution for diseases that would otherwise be difficult to address through conventional AAV gene replacement therapy, which is where the size of the gene of interest is more than the transgene packaging capacity of conventional AAV vectors.

Dr. Khanna and his team at the Horae Gene Therapy Center are leading the research in this new area of gene therapy. Of late, they released a journal article in the Human Gene Therapy, entitled "Gene Therapy using a miniCEP290 Fragment Delays Photoreceptor Degeneration in a Mouse Model of Leber Congenital Amaurosis", which was prepared by Wei Zhang, Linjing Li, Qin Su, Dr. Gao, and Dr. Khanna.

Kourous Rezaei, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Ophthotech, shared that he is intrigued by the next generation gene delivery technology and minigenes at the UMMS. He believes that this is an exclusive approach that would allow the use of AAV vectors for the treatment of orphan degenerative retinal diseases such as Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) type 10 due to CEP290 mutations, and autosomal recessive Stargardt disease (STGD1) due to ABCA4 mutations.

Research Programs to Spur Innovation in Gene Therapy

Advancement in gene therapy technologies can develop transformational, next-generation therapies for patients with ocular diseases. The combination of Dr. Gao's and his team's know-how in gene therapy with Ophthotech's clinical expertise can help the Company accomplish its promise of developing innovative solutions for the treatment of retinal diseases. This takes Ophthotech a step closer to its strategy of becoming the leader in the development of ophthalmic therapies for orphan and larger indications in the back of the eye.

Terence R. Flotte, MD, Executive Deputy Chancellor, Provost, and Dean of the Medical School at the UMMS, and a specialist in the field of gene therapy, affirmed that many a times, researches focused on finding cures for eye diseases have steered innovation in gene therapy. He believes that this collaboration would set the stage for future breakthroughs in this field.

Stock Performance Snapshot

February 28, 2018 - At Wednesday's closing bell, Ophthotech's stock climbed 5.04%, ending the trading session at $2.71.

Volume traded for the day: 252.98 thousand shares.

After yesterday's close, Ophthotech's market cap was at $97.48 million.

Price to Earnings (P/E) ratio was at 1.73.

The stock is part of the Healthcare sector, categorized under the Biotechnology industry.

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