Regenera Pharma starts Phase III study, looks to tap US venture capital

An Israeli drugmaker has come out of stealth and enrolled the first patient in its Phase III study that aims to treat an eye disorder using a drug derived from a type of tree resin. Regenera Pharma announced Thursday the enrollment of the first patient in the 234-patient study of RPh201 in nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, which is a type of stroke of the optic nerve. The drug is a patented extract of gum mastic – long used in traditional medicine and in nutraceuticals, as well as flavoring in the Greek liqueur mastiha that has been purified, formulated and stabilized through a proprietary process. The randomized, placebo-controlled study is expected to enroll patients over six months at a dozen sites in the US, CEO Jordan Rubinson said in a phone interview. The study’s ClinicalTrials.gov page currently lists three sites, in Connecticut and South Carolina.