Abeona Therapeutics Expands ZEVASKYN Network with University of Florida Health

CLEVELAND, Sept. 16, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Abeona Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on genetic medicines for serious diseases, has expanded its network of Qualified Treatment Centers (QTCs) for its gene therapy ZEVASKYN. The company has activated the University of Florida Health (UF Health) in Gainesville, Florida, as the eighth QTC for administering ZEVASKYN, the first and only autologous gene-modified cellular sheets for treating wounds in patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB).

Dr. Madhav Vasanthavada, Chief Commercial Officer of Abeona, expressed optimism about the expansion.

Dr. Michael Lavery, a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Florida and Director of the University of Florida Epidermolysis Bullosa Multidisciplinary Clinic, highlighted the significance of the new QTC. "The University of Florida Health is now the sole treatment center for ZEVASKYN across the Southeastern United States. This new gene therapy expands the treatment armamentarium for managing epidermolysis bullosa, with the goal of improving skin healing and patient quality of life," he noted.

Dr. Shawn Larson, Professor and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at the University of Florida, emphasized the collaborative nature of the partnership. "ZEVASKYN brings together the expertise of our Pediatric Surgery and Burn teams and highlights the collaborative care model that defines UF Health. We are proud to partner with Abeona Therapeutics to expand access to specialized treatment for patients with epidermolysis bullosa," he said.

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a rare blistering disorder without a cure, characterized by severe skin wounds that cause pain and can lead to systemic complications, impacting the length and quality of life. People with RDEB have a defect in both copies of the COL7A1 gene, leaving them unable to produce functioning type VII collagen, which is necessary to anchor the dermal and epidermal layers of the skin.

ZEVASKYN is the first and only autologous cell sheet-based gene therapy for the treatment of wounds in adult and pediatric patients with RDEB. The therapy incorporates the functional type VII collagen-producing COL7A1 gene into a patient's own skin cells, ex vivo, using a replication-incompetent retroviral vector to produce functional type VII collagen in treated wounds. ZEVASKYN has demonstrated clinically meaningful wound healing and pain reduction with a single surgical application.