Acucela Presentations at ARVO 2009
April 29, 2009
Acucela announced it will present new data on ACU-4429, an investigational therapy for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), at ARVO. Data will be presented on the safety, tolerability and effectiveness of ACU-4429, a single-dose daily oral treatment for dry AMD.
ACU-4429 is currently in Phase I trials, and a Phase II trial is expected to begin later this year.
Acucela explains in its release that ACU-4429 is a new therapeutic class of drugs known as “Visual Cycle Modulators,” which are designed to prevent or inhibit generation of by-products that can lead to degenerative eye conditions such as dry-type age-related macular degeneration and Stargardt’s Disease. Data to be presented will demonstrate the safety profile of ACU-4429 among healthy volunteers and also that ACU-4429 protects photoreceptors from acute light damage and reduces A2E/lipofuscin (considered a major contributor to retinal degenerative conditions) in a genetic animal model.
Acucela has developed assays that utilize long?lived, fully?differentiated primary retinal neurons for in vivo screening. The screens are referred to as OcuScreenTM, which has been developed for drug discovery and detection of retinal toxins.
Read the full release, which provides abstracts for Acucela’s presentations.
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