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Fenretinide, a drug that slowed the progression of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Phase II clinical trial, has also reduced the incidence of wet AMD by 50 percent in that same clinical study. The initial dry AMD results from the clinical study were presented in spring 2009. Full two-year results were announced on September 1, 2010. “The dual effect of fenretinide in these clinical trials is impressive,” says Stephen Rose, Ph.D., chief research officer, Foundation Fighting Blindness. “Virtually everyone who has AMD starts off with the dry form. Fenritinide shows potential for preventing vision loss whether a person’s condition progresses to advanced dry AMD or into wet AMD.” Researchers report that fenretinide not only reduces the size of lesions and build-up of toxins associated with vision loss in dry AMD, but also the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF, a protein which causes the formation of unhealthy, leaky blood vessels that lead to severe vision loss in people with wet AMD. The Foundation funded earlier preclinical studies of fenretinide, which demonstrated the drug’s potential for slowing vision loss in people affected by Stargardt disease, Best disease, and other conditions characterized by the buildup of toxic waste products in the retina. ReVision Therapeutics, an ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company in San Diego, is hoping to launch a Phase III clinical trial of fenretinide for the treatment of AMD in 12-18 months. |
