Released on = September 19, 2006, 6:38 am

Press Release Author = La Merie Business Intelligence

Industry = Biotech

Press Release Summary = The anti-VEGF Fab Lucentis is the new standard of care to
treat AMD because it can improve visual acuity. Competitor drugs directed against
the same and innovative targets are applied with non-intravitreal forms of
administration to avoid the unease of intra-vitreal injection

Press Release Body = BARCELONA, Spain | Sep 19, 2006 | The Business Intelligence
firm La Merie S.L. reported that the antibody fragment ranibizumab (Lucentis)
targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the first and only drug to
achieve significant improvement of visual acuity in patients with wet age-related
macular degeneration (AMD) threatened by blindness. The high price treatment holds
the promise of a large market size and, thus, has attracted a full pipeline of
competitor drugs directed against the same and novel targets totalling 24 IND and
clinical stage projects and at least 20 preclinical stage projects. Competitor drugs
have to be at least as effective as Lucentis before the ease of administration
offered a competitive advantage. These results and more were found in a competitor
analysis conducted by La Merie Business Intelligence. The findings of the search can
be acquired at www.pipelinereview.com, La Merie's News Center and Online Store.

The ability of Lucentis to prevent deterioration of visual acuity in nearly all
treated patients and to achieve improvement of visual acuity in 35 to 40 % of
treated patients, makes it the drug of choice for treatment of wet AMD. However,
prospective annual treatment costs of US$ 23,400.- urged the off-label use of its
parent antibody Avastin at a fraction of Lucentis costs due to the mini-dosis
required in AMD. As Avastin license holders do not plan clinical evaluation of
Avastin in AMD, the NIH is considering funding a study to compare results of AMD
therapies with Lucentis and Avastin. Another downside of Lucentis is the necessity
of monthly intravitreal injections to be given under aseptic conditions which makes
it less ideal for prophylactic uses or prolonged use for prevention of AMD
progression.

RNA-based anti-VEGF therapies pegaptanib sodium and bevasiranib appear to be
inferior to Lucentis because pegaptanib does not improve visual acuity and
bevasiranib is associated with an initial delay of onset of activity due to its mode
of action. Small molecule inhibitors of the VEGF receptor-2 tyrosine kinase (tk) and
of multi-tik inhibitors which are in clinical and preclinical development, open the
possibility to avoid intravitreal injections and instead to use eye drop
application, oral dosing or minimally invasive sub-tenon or peri-ocular injections.
These more convenient and safer ways of drug is also used for small molecule agents
directed at other targets and allowing evaluation of the potential for prophylactic
treatment.


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About La Merie
La Merie S.L. is a Business Intelligence enterprise fully dedicated to provide high
quality R&D information to the biopharmaceutical industry. La Merie offers
individual consultancy services and publishes reports and periodicals. For more
information visit www.lamerie.com.

SOURCE: La Merie Business Intelligence


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