EP 192: From $88 to breakthroughs: Innovation in retinal gene therapy with Dr. Huma Qamar of Ocugen

Summary: This week on The Genetics Podcast, Patrick is joined by Huma Qamar, Chief Medical Officer at Ocugen. They discuss her journey from arriving in the US with $88 in her pocket to leading gene therapy programs, Ocugen’s breakthrough in retinal disease, and how gene-agnostic therapies could transform treatment for conditions like retinitis pigmentosa.Show Notes: 0:00 Intro to The Genetics Podcast00:59 Welcome to Huma 01:40 How Huma arrived in the US from Pakistan with $88 and went on to do medical training and research at Yale and Harvard06:47 Huma’s approach to challenges throughout her journey and how networking helped boost her career09:30 Ocugen’s mission to develop therapies for retinal disease and recent successes, including obtaining pediatric breakthrough designation12:10 Technical advantages and disadvantages of Ocugen’s retinal gene therapy 15:18 Insights from Huma’s experience across gene therapy trials versus oncology trials 19:17 Clinical landscape and genetic mutations in retinitis pigmentosa and the advantage of Ocugen’s gene-agnostic and gene modifier platform23:17 Therapy mechanism of reactivating degenerating photoreceptors via master regulators  26:32 Clinical trial design and regulatory considerations29:15 Huma’s vision and hopes for retinal diseases over the next 5-10 years 30:20 Huma’s experience as an interpreter and dedication to supporting immigrants and refugees32:12 Closing remarks and Huma’s message to women and patientsFind out moreOcugen (https://ocugen.com/)Please consider rating and reviewing us on your chosen podcast listening platform! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Bp2_wVNSzntTs_zuoizU8bX1dvao4jfj/view?usp=share_link