Telomir Pharmaceuticals Shows Telomir-Zn Improves Vision in Age-Related Macular Degeneration Model

MIAMI, Sept. 17, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- Telomir Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, has announced significant findings from a peer-reviewed publication that demonstrates its small-molecule therapeutic Telomir-Zn can restore visual function and retinal structure in a model of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The research, published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, highlights the potential of Telomir-Zn to influence disease-associated pathways beyond its current focus on oncology.

The findings show that the compound significantly improved visual performance and retinal structure in the AMD model, with histological analysis revealing a restoration of retinal thickness across multiple layers.

According to the research, Telomir-Zn reduced intracellular labile iron and potently inhibited iron-dependent Jumonji C histone demethylases (KDMs), enzymes that play a crucial role in regulating gene expression. This modulation of intracellular metals and epigenetic regulation may be particularly relevant in retinal degeneration, where oxidative and mitochondrial stress can alter cellular programs governing inflammation, senescence, DNA repair, and survival.

In addition to these visual and structural improvements, the study also demonstrated that Telomir-Zn increased relative telomeric DNA content and restored altered DNA methylation patterns. These epigenetic changes suggest that Telomir-Zn's biological activity may extend beyond reducing oxidative stress to broader genomic and epigenetic processes associated with cellular aging and degeneration.

The research builds upon Telomir-Zn's previously published oncology studies, where intracellular labile iron reduction and inhibition of iron-dependent KDMs were associated with epigenetic reprogramming and anti-tumor activity. The findings indicate a common biology centered on intracellular metal homeostasis and epigenetic regulation, potentially applicable to multiple disease settings.

Dr. Itzchak Angel, Chief Scientific Advisor of Telomir Pharmaceuticals, commented, "This study gives us an important new view of the relationship between intracellular metal balance, oxidative stress, epigenetic regulation, and retinal degeneration. Telomir-Zn significantly improved visual function, reduced retinal degeneration, and restored key retinal-layer thicknesses, supporting the potential relevance in a devastating disease such as AMD, beyond oncology."

Erez Aminov, CEO of Telomir Pharmaceuticals, added, "Our clinical priority remains oncology, beginning with our FDA-cleared Phase 1/2 program in patients with advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the potential opportunity for Telomir-Zn could extend well beyond a single indication. As we build evidence across different disease models, we are seeing a common biology centered on intracellular metal homeostasis and epigenetic regulation. We believe this creates meaningful platform potential for Telomir-Zn across additional cancers and, over time, other diseases where this biology may play an important role."

Telomir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: TELO) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing small-molecule therapeutics targeting epigenetic and metabolic pathways implicated in cancer. The Company's lead program, Telomir-Zn, is designed to modulate intracellular metal homeostasis and epigenetic regulation and has received Investigational New Drug clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for a Phase 1/2 clinical trial in patients with advanced or metastatic triple-negative breast cancer. For more information, please visit the company's website at https://telomirpharma.com/.