PYC Therapeutics (ASX:PYC) said that its drug candidate, VP 001, designed to treat Retinitis Pigmentosa type 11, a blinding eye disease of childhood, has shown improvements in both visual acuity and retinal sensitivity in early-stage clinical trials, according to a Monday filing with the Australian bourse.

The improvements were observed using low luminance visual acuity (LLVA) and microperimetry assessments in patients dosed with VP 001, the filing said.

The company plans to advance the drug into a registrational trial, and recently held a Type B meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration, which confirmed LLVA or microperimetry could serve as standalone primary endpoints, the filing added.

A Type D meeting is expected in the second half of the year, the company said.