PulseSight Therapeutics announced the completion of patient enrollment in its phase 1 clinical trial of PST-611, which is designed to assess the safety and tolerability of the investigational therapy in patients with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and geographic atrophy (GA). As planned, six patients were treated across two successive cohorts at two different dose levels.

Data from the study are expected to be presented at the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), taking place May 3-7, 2026.

PST-611 is a first-in-class gene therapy candidate that expresses transferrin, a naturally occurring iron transporter that plays a central role in maintaining normal iron homeostasis. In dry AMD, dysregulation of iron metabolism leads to excess free iron in retinal tissues, triggering inflammation, oxidative stress, and retinal cell death through a process known as ferroptosis. In preclinical studies, PST-611 has demonstrated the ability to protect photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells from degeneration and to preserve visual function in animal models.

The phase 1 study is being conducted at leading ophthalmology centers in Paris and Grenoble. The trial is led by Professor Francine Behar-Cohen, MD, PhD, at the Department of Ophthalmology, Cochin – Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), and Professor Christophe Chiquet, MD, PhD, at the Department of Ophthalmology, CHU Grenoble Alpes.

“Having pioneered the development of the electro-transfection technology that delivers DNA plasmids encoding therapeutic proteins into the ciliary muscle of the eye, I am very enthusiastic about PST-611 and very pleased to support the clinical development of this promising candidate,” said Professor Behar-Cohen. “Late-stage dry AMD and geographic atrophy are progressive diseases that lead to vision loss and for which we currently have no therapeutic options. Based on its mechanism of action and thanks to the innovative delivery technology, PST-611 has the potential to become a major treatment option for these patients.”