Chengdu Origen and Vanotech Announce First Patient Dosed in Phase 1 Trial of Gene Therapy for Wet AMD

Chengdu Origen Biotechnology and Vanotech announced that the first patient dosed in the VAN-2401 multicenter phase 1 clinical trial evaluating treatment with KH658 for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This multicenter, open-label, dose-escalation clinical trial in the US will assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of KH658 as a single suprachoroidal space administration of gene therapy for patients with previously treated wet AMD.

KH658 is a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector that encodes a human VEGF receptor fusion protein. In preclinical studies of wet AMD disease models, suprachoroidal space administration of KH658 resulted in retention of the transgene product in the retina for prolonged periods and prevented the disease progression. These findings may indicate the potential of KH658 to offer a single administration treatment for wet AMD patients.

“Dosing our first patient in the VAN-2401 phase 1 trial is an important milestone in the advancement of KH658 by exploring the potential of single suprachoroidal space administration of gene therapy as treatment for wet AMD. KH658 is designed to deliver anti-VEGF continuously to the retina, with the potential to provide sustained levels that can control the disease,” Avner Ingerman, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Vanotech, said in a company news release.

VAN-2401 is expected to include approximately nine previously treated wet AMD subjects that are responsive to anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy. For more information, please visit https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06825858.