We investigated the hypothesis that degradation of HIF-1α as a master regulator of angiogenesis in hypoxic condition, using β-lapachone, would confer protection against hypoxia-induced retinopathy without affecting physiological vascular development in mice with oxygen-induced retinopathy (OIR), an animal model of ROP. The gene discussed is HIF1A; the disease is retinopathy of prematurity.