Forge Bio partnered with Restore Vision to advance AAV therapies for inherited retinal disorders, with Forge supporting manufacturing for the lead candidate RV-001. The CDMO collaboration includes process development, toxicology-scale AAV manufacturing, and clinical GMP production of material for Restore Vision’s Phase I/II trial in Japan. Forge said the agreement focuses on building a manufacturing process tailored to RV-001, starting with early process development and progressing through scale-up activities at Forge’s Hearth facility in Columbus, Ohio. Clinical supplies are then transported to Japan to support the ongoing Phase I/II study. The parties highlighted practical execution constraints unique to ophthalmic delivery, including small injection volumes where dose accuracy and consistent product quality are critical. They also emphasized stability and shipping considerations for international clinical supply chains. The deal underscores how gene therapy timelines increasingly depend on manufacturing partnerships that can de-risk process development and logistics—especially when trials span regions.