03/08/2025
For the first time ever, patients with macular telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel), a rare eye disease that blurs central vision, finally have a treatment option. The FDA has just approved ENCELTO, a groundbreaking implant that delivers hope where there was none before. Developed by Neurotech Pharmaceuticals in partnership with Scripps and the Lowy Medical Research Institute, this tiny device is implanted in the eye and steadily releases a protective protein called CNTF that helps retinal cells survive longer.
MacTel affects the light-sensing cells in the retina and has long been misunderstood as simply a vascular problem. But scientists, led by Dr. Martin Friedlander, discovered that the disease is actually neurodegenerative. ENCELTO works by delivering CNTF through a special collagen capsule filled with engineered cells. Once inside the eye, this capsule quietly releases CNTF for years.
In two major clinical trials, ENCELTO slowed the loss of retinal cells over 24 months, helping patients retain crucial vision for reading, driving, and recognising faces. Some implants were still active after 14.5 years, showing its long-term potential.
ENCELTO is the first FDA-approved cell-based neuroprotective implant for any neurodegenerative disease and may pave the way for future treatments for conditions like glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and even brain disorders.
Dr-Muzamil Hussain Baloch
