Extended-release pegaptanib injection under development

Palm Beach Gardens, FL-Eyetech Inc. has entered into a licensing and development agreement with SurModics Pharmaceuticals Inc. to develop an extended-release version of pegaptanib sodium injection (Macugen) using microparticle technology.

The drug, a selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-165, is approved for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The goal of the extended-release formulation is to decrease the frequency of dosing from every 6 weeks to every 4 to 6 months.

“An extended-release formulation of [pegaptanib sodium injection] could offer several potential advantages to physicians, patients with neovascular AMD, and their families, including a more convenient dosing schedule, improved compliance, and a lower risk of complications related to the injection,” said Scott W. Cousins, MD, project leader for the Macugen Microparticles Program and vice chairman of research in the Department of Ophthalmology at Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC.