AMD drug's phase I results to be presented at AAO

Lousiville, KY-A biotechnology company will be presenting its ASaP phase I clinical data for its leading drug candidate (POT-4, Potentia Pharmaceuticals) during Retina Subspecialty Day at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) in Atlanta Nov. 7.

"[This drug] is the first of several complement inhibitors that will ultimately be tested in macular degeneration. The role of complement in this disease was established in 2005 as the first breakthrough discovery resulting directly from the human genome project,” said Cedric Francois, president and chief executive officer of Potentia Pharmaceuticals. “If complement inhibition is successful at treating macular degeneration, it would be the first of hopefully many new drugs born out of the human genome project, and usher in an era of improved healthcare for millions of patients."

Philip J. Rosenfeld, MD, PhD, professor of ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, and a clinical investigator in the study, will present the data.

The complement inhibitor shuts down the complement activation cascade that otherwise could lead to local inflammation, tissue damage, and upregulation of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor in the eye. Based on this mechanism of action, POT-4 holds the potential to be effective against both the dry and wet forms of age-related macular degeneration.