Ophthalmology Therapeutic Roundup — February 9, 2017

Here's a look at some of the latest news regarding ophthalmic drugs and therapies from the past week. 

• Aura Biosciences announced the U.S. FDA has cleared the investigational new drug application (IND) for its lead program, light-activated AU-011 in ocular melanoma (OM). This active IND reportedly enables Aura to begin initial clinical testing of AU-011 — a unique targeted therapy that could transform the primary treatment of patients with OM.
• Envisia Therapeutics recently released an interim analysis of the second cohort of its ENV515 (travoprost XR) phase 2 trial in patients with glaucoma, showing a clinically meaningful reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP) for the entire 11-month evaluation period following a single administration. ENV515 also reportedly demonstrated an IOP lowering effect comparable to pre-study topical prostaglandin analogs (Xalatan® and Lumigan®) and in-study topical timolol maleate 0.5% ophthalmic solution (daily  eye drops).
• Exonate has been awarded a £4.9m Seeding Drug Discovery award by the Wellcome Trust to continue development of an eyedrop treatment for wet age–related macular degeneration (AMD). The award will reportedly allow Exonate to take several of its previously-developed inhibitors into an optimization program to produce a pre-clinical candidate drug with optical characteristics for clinical development.
• Biotechnology acceleration company Q BioMed Inc. announced its research partner, Mannin Research, has been accepted into Johnson & Johnson Innovation, JLABS @ Toronto. Mannin Research is reportedly Q BioMed's research partner for the development of a novel pharmaceutical eye-drop to treat primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) utilizing the Tie2 Mechanism of Action.
• ProtoKinetix, Incorporated recently offered an update on the testing of neuronal retinal cells in living tissue at the University of British Columbia (UBC). The research program at UBC will reportedly be determining whether AAGP™ — a family of hyper stable, potent glycopeptides that enhance both engraftment and protection of transplanted cells used in regenerative medicine — can help improve the survival of stem cells that are currently being used in human trials to treat retinal blindness.
• MeiraGTx announced the first patient in its clinical study for achromatopsia due to mutations in the CNGB3 gene was treated at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Additionally, the company has successfully completed dosing of patients in the second cohort in its clinical trial for Leber’s Congenital Amaurosis with RPE65 mutations, also at the Moorfields Eye Hospital.
• Alimera Sciences, Inc. announced ILUVIEN® is now fully reimbursable as a hospital-administered therapy in Italy for patients who have previously undergone cataract surgery. In Europe, ILUVIEN is a sustained release intravitreal implant for the treatment of vision impairment associated with chronic diabetic macular edema (DME).

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