Is AMD Drug-Treatment Landscape Shifting?

Is AMD Drug-Treatment Landscape Shifting?

When Novartis last week announced positive outcomes from two Phase III trials for new age-related macular degeneration (AMD) drug brolucizumab (RTH258), it seemed the other two major players in the AMD space – Regeneron and Roche – might lose some of their luster. But Regeneron’s stock kept gaining ground despite the potential threat of four-times-a-year…

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With Positive Phase I/IIa, Opthea Looks to Next Step

With Positive Phase I/IIa, Opthea Looks to Next Step

Coming off word that the Phase I/IIa clinical trial of its novel anti-VEGF candidate for treatment of age-related macular degeneration exceeded expectations, along with positive regulatory agency feedback and a new round of fundraising, Australia-based Opthea is looking to expand its Phase IIb trial and explore the application of its lead candidate in other ocular…

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Clearside Goes All in for CLS-TA

Clearside Goes All In for CLS-TA

Late last year, when developers of agents that combined anti-platelet derived growth factor with an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-PDGF/anti-VEGF) to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) disclosed disappointing trial results, Daniel White, president and CEO of Clearside Biomedical, took notice. At the time, Clearside had just raised $20 million. The Alpharetta, GA, biotech was…

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Alimera Sciences: Addressing DME with Persistent Microdose Therapy

Alimera Sciences is focused on the commercialization of ILUVIEN (fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant) for diabetic macular edema (DME), which received FDA approval in 2014. The product is currently marketed in the US and three European countries, and is approved in 14 others. Alimera is gaining traction in the market, with over 6,000 eyes treated to…

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Regeneron: Pursuing Combination Therapies with PDGFR-beta and Ang2

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. markets the highly successful anti-VEGF injection EYLEA (aflibercept), which is FDA approved for neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and diabetic macular edema (DME) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with DME. Global EYLEA sales in 2015 totaled $4.1 billion, including OUS sales by Bayer.…

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Aerpio Therapeutics: Focus on Tie2 Activation

Aerpio Therapeutics is focused on the development of novel therapeutics for vascular disorders, with a concentration on eye diseases. Joseph Gardner, CEO of Aerpio, provided an overview of the company’s approach to addressing retinal diseases through activation of Tie2, a tyrosine kinase receptor. “Tie2 is now widely published as being one of the most important…

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Allegro Ophthalmics: First-in-Class Anti-Integrin Agent

Allegro Ophthalmics is developing Luminate, a first-in-class anti-integrin peptide with a novel mechanism of action for both anti-angiogenesis and vitreolysis. The company is in late-stage development with multiple programs in Phase IIb or later. According to Vicken Karageozian, MD, president of Allegro, about 400 human eyes have been treated with about 1,000 intravitreal injections to…

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Retina Experts Serve Up a Combination Platter at OIS@ASRS

Contributed By: Michael Lachman The OIS@ASRS panel discussion on Emerging Approaches to Combination Therapies in AMD & DME was moderated by Mark Humayan, MD, PhD, director of the USC Eye Institute, and Emmett T. Cunningham, Jr., MD, PhD, MPH, of Clarus Ventures. The need for new treatment approaches was articulated by Pravin Dugel, MD, Arizona-based…

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Eye Care Priority for J&J

Ashley McEvoy, Company Chair of Vision Care and Diabetes at Johnson & Johnson, joins OISTV to discuss Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to eye health. Video Highlights 00:49 – Emerging areas of interest: lung cancer, diabetes and eye health? 01:00 – What areas in eye care are you looking at? 01:25 – How does expertise in…

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Heier Talks Anti-Angiopoietin Programs, Clinical Trials & Red Sox

OIS Podcast

[creativ_pullleft colour=”light-gray” colour_custom=”” text=”Episode 075″] Jeff Heier, MD, is the Director of the Vitreoretinal Service and the Director of Retina Research at Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston (OCB) gives an update from the Angiogenesis conference about the advancing anti-angiopoietin programs. Podcast Guest Jeffrey Heier, MD Jeffrey S. Heier, MD is the Director of the Vitreoretinal Service…

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Next Few Months Important for Clearside

The next few months will be important for Clearside Biomedical, one of the companies pioneering drug delivery to the suprachoroidal space. The company expects by the end of this month to receive topline data from its Phase II Dogwood trial that is evaluating safety and efficacy of CLS-TA in macular edema associated with non-infectious uveitis.…

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Allegro Ophthalmics

Allegro Ophthalmics describes itself as a “mid-stage biotech company.” Its lead agent, Luminate, is an integrin peptide therapy that is the subject of a number of Phase II trials, including a trial that released topline data in September on its efficacy in vitreomacular traction. Other Phase IIb trials in progress are investigating Luminate for the…

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