ZM-08

ZM-08 is an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based optogenetic gene therapy developed by Zhongmou Therapeutics for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), specifically geographic atrophy. The therapy utilizes an AAV vector to deliver a gene encoding channelrhodopsin—a light-gated ion channel—into surviving retinal neurons. By expressing these light-sensitive proteins in remaining retinal cells (such as bipolar or ganglion cells), the therapy renders them directly responsive to light, thereby bypassing degenerated photoreceptors. This mutation-agnostic approach is designed to restore visual sensitivity in patients with advanced retinal degeneration where traditional photoreceptor function has been lost.