MARKET WIRE
Ophthotech Corp. ("Ophthotech"), a privately
held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing ophthalmic therapies
for back-of-the-eye diseases, today announced that the first patient has
been enrolled in its Phase I clinical trial for the treatment of wet
age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The Phase I trial will assess the
safety and tolerability of E10030, an anti-PDGF aptamer, in combination
with an anti-VEGF agent. This trial will enroll up to a maximum of 36
patients.
"The current treatment regimen for angiogenesis in AMD does not result in
neovascular regression. The combination of anti-PDGF and anti-VEGF agents
has been shown to cause neovascular regression, in both ocular and tumor
angiogenesis preclinical models. We believe E10030 holds great promise for
enhancing the visual outcome for patients with AMD," said Samir Patel,
M.D., President and CEO of Ophthotech Corp.
E10030 is the first of three compounds that Ophthotech Corp. is developing
to treat AMD. Additional molecular entities include ARC1905, a complement
(anti-C5) inhibitor, and volociximab, an anti-angiogenesis monoclonal
antibody targeting alpha5beta1 integrin.
About E10030
E10030, is an aptamer-based compound directed against PDGF-B. Pharmacology
studies indicate that E10030 binds to PDGF-B with high specificity and
affinity and inhibits the functions of PDGF-B both in vitro and in vivo.
In preclinical studies, E10030 demonstrated the potential to regress
neovascularization when used in combination with a VEGF-A inhibitor. In
experiments involving models of ocular vascularization, concurrent
inhibition of PDGF-B and VEGF-A signaling was superior to inhibition of the
VEGF-A pathway alone.
About ARC1905
Anti-C5 aptamer ARC1905 inhibits C5, a central component of the complement
cascade, which plays multiple roles in innate immunity and inflammatory
diseases. Inhibition of this key step in the complement cascade at the
level of C5 prevents the formation of key terminal fragments (C5a and
C5b-9) regardless of which pathway (alternate, classical or lectin) induced
their generation. The C5a fragment is an important inflammatory activator
inducing vascular permeability, recruitment and activation of phagocytes.
C5b-9 is involved in the formation of membrane attack complex (MAC: C5b-9)
which initiates cells lysis. By inhibiting these C5-mediated inflammatory
and MAC activities, therapeutic benefit may be achieved in both dry and wet
AMD.
About Volociximab (M200)
Volociximab is a monoclonal antibody targeting alpha5beta1 integrin, a key
protein involved in the formation of new blood vessels, a process known as
angiogenesis. alpha5beta1 integrin is a critical survival factor for
proliferating endothelial cells involved in angiogenesis. Inhibition of
alpha5beta1 integrin has demonstrated potent anti-angiogenic effects in
multiple pre-clinical models of angiogenesis.
About AMD
AMD is the leading cause of blindness for people over the age of 50 in the
United States and Europe. There are two forms of the disease, namely "dry"
and "wet" AMD. The "wet" form is characterized by the growth of new blood
vessels into the central region of the retina. These new vessels cause
severe visual loss due to retinal damage caused by subsequent leakage and
scar formation. Anti-VEGF therapies and photodynamic therapies have been
approved for "wet" AMD. "Dry" AMD accounts for up to 90 percent of all
cases of AMD. There is no approved therapy for "dry" AMD, which afflicts 8
million patients in the United States and an additional 8 million in
Europe. Visual loss in "dry" AMD is typically not as severe as "wet" AMD,
however, over time, dry AMD can progress to the wet form of the disease.
About Ophthotech
Ophthotech Corp. is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on
developing and commercializing therapies for back-of-the-eye diseases.
Ophthotech plans to develop a pipeline of compounds with strong scientific
foundations for the treatment of AMD and bring them to market in an
accelerated manner. In August of 2007, Ophthotech announced a $36 million
Series A venture financing and two separate in-licensing deals with
Archemix Corp and (OSI) Eyetech, Inc. A third in-license from Biogen Idec
and PDL BioPharma was announced in January of 2008. Ophthotech's venture
investors include SV Life Sciences, HBM BioVentures and Novo A/S. For more
information, please visit www.ophthotech.com.