ATHENAGEN INITIATES TRIAL OF ANTI-ANGIOGENIC EYEDROPS

Athenagen has begun testing ATG003, its topical therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD), in a Phase I clinical trial. ATG003 is a proprietary topical formulation of mecamylamine that has shown efficacy in animal models and is a possible alternative to current therapies for AMD. This study represents the first human study of anti-angiogenic eyedrops.

ATG003 inhibits endothelial nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and has been shown to decrease angiogenesis (new blood vessel growth) as well as vascular permeability, two well-known hallmarks of neovascular AMD. The study is a randomized, placebo-controlled, ascending-dose trial designed to evaluate ocular tolerability and safety for up to 14 days.

There are approximately 2 million AMD patients in the United States, and the disease is the No. 1 cause of vision loss and legal blindness in adults over 60. There is no cure for AMD, and the standard-of-care treatment is highly invasive, requiring needle injections directly in the eye every four to six weeks.