Ophthalmology Therapeutic Roundup — October 6, 2016

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

• Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. (CDI), a FUJIFILM company, launched a new venture called Opsis Therapeutics with the focus of discovering and developing novel medicines to treat patients with retinal diseases. The venture was reportedly founded in partnership with Dr. David Gamm, a world leader and pioneer in the differentiation and transplantation of iPSC-derived retinal cells.
• Bayer has entered into a collaborative agreement with Finnish drug delivery technology and drug development company DelSiTech Ltd. for the worldwide application of DelSiTech's Silica Matrix drug delivery platform to a number of Bayer's compounds in ophthalmology.
• Biotechnology company Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC recently reported it had completed enrollment for its PACIFIC Phase 2b clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Luminate® (ALG-1001) in inducing posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) in patients with non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (DR).
• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently announced topline results from its Phase 2 CAPELLA study evaluating aflibercept co-formulated with rinucumab, an anti-platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (anti-PDGFR-beta) antibody, in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). The combination therapy reportedly did not demonstrate an improvement in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) compared to intravitreal aflibercept injection monotherapy at 12 weeks, the primary endpoint of the study. At 12 weeks, patients in both combination aflibercept/rinucumab groups showed a 5.8 letter improvement in BCVA, while patients treated with aflibercept alone showed a 7.5 letter improvement in BCVA.
• Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. has enrolled its first patient in the first of two planned Phase 3 clinical trials with OTX-TP (sustained release travoprost) for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension. OTX-TP is reportedly a preservative-free drug product candidate that resides within the canaliculus and is designed to deliver the prostaglandin analog travoprost to the ocular surface for up to 90 days.
• Opthea Limited recently presented data at the EURETINA Congress for its Phase 1 clinical trial of OPT-302 — the company's novel VEGF-C/D 'Trap' therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). The presentation reportedly announced positive data from Opthea's ongoing first-in-human clinical trial of OPT-302, with encouraging results demonstrating safety and tolerability of OPT-302 administered as a monotherapy and in combination with standard of care Lucentis®.
• Earlier this week, Mati Therapeutics Inc. announced it would present the development status of three new programs based on its Evolute® ocular non-invasive sustained drug delivery platform at the annual Ocular Innovation Summit on October 13, 2016 in Chicago. The first two programs are reportedly for treating patients with ocular inflammation and pain, and the third program is a prostaglandin analogue designed for treating glaucoma.
• Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has sold its commercial pharmaceutical business, Moorfields Pharmaceuticals, to Rayner Pharmaceuticals Limited — reportedly the only manufacturer of intraocular lenses (IOLs) in the U.K.
• Cambrex Corporation has reportedly opened a new pilot plant at its manufacturing and R&D site in Paullo (MI), Italy, that will be used meet customer demand for small-scale Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) and for API supply to niche markets, including ophthalmic drugs.
• Ampio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the journal Acta Ophthalmologica has accepted for publication an article on the clinical trial results for its oral drug Optina™ for the treatment of diabetic macular edema.
• Kemin Industries is reportedly celebrating 20 years for its FloraGLO® Lutein product. To celebrate, the company recently launched a four-week email campaign called the Beat the Blue™ Challenge to help build awareness of harmful blue light and offer tips and tricks to help maintain healthy vision for a lifetime.
• And Imprimis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. recently published a 75-page, well-referenced drug pricing monograph describing specific proposals that will drive competition, transparency and patient access by lowering drug costs for Americans.