Ohr Pharmaceutical Data Review Supports Strong Potential of EVIZON for Wet AMD

As part of its drug pipeline Ohr Pharmaceutical (OTC.BB:OHRP - News) is developing a wet AMD (Macular Degeneration) therapy, based on technology acquired from Genaera Liquidating Trust. This novel therapeutic agent (EVIZON(TM)) has demonstrated the improvement or stabilization in vision in more than 100 subjects with wet AMD. Patients (wet AMD subjects) treated with at least 40 mg/m2 of EVIZON� in phase 1 and 2 studies demonstrated early signs of a biological effect: 18% had three lines or greater improvement in visual acuity 4 months after they had completed therapy and another 72% had stable vision. Throughout its clinical development, the drug was well tolerated, with no drug-related serious adverse events occurring in patients involved in this trial.

EVIZON(TM) (Squalamine for wet AMD) is a systemic anti-angiogenic therapy with a novel mechanism of action which avoids the cardiovascular and ophthalmic side effects associated with intraocular injections of anti-VEGF antibodies. As evidence of this advantage, there were no clinically significant increases in systolic or diastolic blood pressure in clinical studies of 124 wet AMD subjects receiving EVIZON� in Phase 2 clinical trials.

Wet AMD is the leading cause of legal blindness among adults age 50 or older in the Western world. Age-related macular degeneration is a progressive disease which is characterized the early stage "dry" form and the more severe "wet" form. Wet AMD is caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels, or choroidal neovascularization, under the central part of the retina, the macula. Although the wet form of AMD accounts for only 10% to 15% of all AMD, it is responsible for 90% of severe vision loss associated with AMD. Approximately 500,000 new cases of wet AMD are diagnosed annually worldwide. In North America alone, approximately 200,000 new cases of wet AMD are diagnosed each year.

Recognizing the significant therapeutic potential of EVIZON(TM), Ohr Pharmaceutical is developing a promising novel formulation to enhance its bioavailability while maintaining its excellent safety profile.

For more information go to www.maculardegenerationassociation.org

First European patients undergo AMD treatment with NeoVista system

FREMONT, Calif. — The first European patients have been treated for wet age-related macular degeneration with NeoVista's Vidion ANV Therapy System, an epimacular brachytherapy device that delivers a single dose of therapeutic radiation, the manufacturer announced in a press release.

The Vidion system is undergoing phase 3 clinical trials for U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing approval. The device proved safe and effective in preliminary clinical trials, the release said.

Stanislao Rizzo, MD, of S. Chiara Hospital, Pisa, Italy, treated the initial group of patients with the Vidion ANV Therapy System. The release did not specify the number of patients treated or detail initial outcomes.

The Vidion system, which delivers a targeted dose of strontium-90 beta ionizing radiation to the affected area of the retina, may prove to be a viable alternative to continuous injections of anti-VEGFs, the current standard of care for wet AMD, according to the company.

The device minimizes systemic radiation exposure and exposure of adjacent tissues, the release said.

For more information go to www.maculardegenerationassociation.org

New therapy at TCD for diseases of retina

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Add a commentResearchers at Trinity College Dublin have reported the development of a new drug delivery system which has the potential to treat degenerative diseases of the retina, including retinitis pigmentosa (RP), age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

The research was led by Dr Matthew Campbell and Professor Peter Humphries of TCD’s Smurfit Institute of Genetics and School of Genetics and Microbiology.

The new process has been used in the suppression of new retinal blood vessel growth in mice, a phenomenon called neovascularisation, which is the major sight-threatening symptom associated with age-related macular degeneration in humans.

For more information go to www.maculardegenerationassociation.org