HONG KONG – Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi UFJ Capital Co. Ltd. and Nagoya Institute of Technology have kicked off research on a joint project for a gene therapy that could be applied to the restoration of vision.
New York-based Immunovant Inc.’s phase IIa results with neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn)-targeting IMVT-1401 in thyroid eye disease (TED), also known as Graves’ ophthalmopathy, prompted renewed speculation about the space, hot since the approval on Jan. 21 of Tepezza (teprotumumab-trbw) from Horizon Therapeutics plc, of Dublin.
BEIJING – Eye disease specialist Arctic Vision (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co. Ltd. has in-licensed from Clearside Biomedical Inc., an U.S. ophthalmology biotech, the commercialization and development rights of Xipere (triamcinolone acetonide suprachoroidal injectable suspension) for greater China and South Korea. Under the license agreement, Clearside will receive $4 million up front plus additional milestone payments from Arctic Vision for achieving specified events before Xipere wins approval in the U.S.
Kala Pharmaceuticals Inc. plans to use its positive phase III data in dry eye disease (DED) with KPI-121 (loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic suspension 0.25%) as the basis for the resubmission of its NDA in the second quarter of 2020.
Abpro Therapeutics Inc. has granted an exclusive license to Abpro Bio Co. Ltd., the former Ugint Co. Ltd., to develop and commercialize two bispecific antibodies in Asian markets, including greater China, Japan and South Korea.
Strongly favorable six-month data disclosed on Jan. 9 by Applied Genetic Technologies Corp. (AGTC) from its ongoing phase I/II program with an adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP) did more than provide a whopping stock boost.
LONDON – Oculis SA reported positive results for its topical nanoparticle formulation of dexamethasone in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME), showing the eye drops reduced central macular thickness (CMT) in the phase II proof-of-concept trial.
Lineage Cell Therapeutics Inc. CEO Brian Culley told BioWorld that concerns about the pace of the company’s dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) phase I/IIa trial have been alleviated after an independent data safety monitoring board (DSMB) decreed that the study’s protocol-mandated treatment stagger can be removed.
An international collaborative study led by geneticists at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research Berghofer Medical Research Institute (QIMR) in Brisbane, Australia, has used a multivariate approach to develop a polygenic risk score (PRS) for glaucoma.
HONG KONG – Bionetix Inc., of Suwon, South Korea, has secured ₩10.8 billion (US$9.33 million) in series B funding. The biotech, founded in February 2017, has attracted a total of KRW14.7 billion to date. The company will use the funds to advance NTX-301, a therapy for myelodysplastic syndrome/acute myeloid leukemia (MDS/AML) with epigenetic dysregulation, and NTX-101, a glaucoma treatment.
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