Roche Stops Clinical Development of Oral Drug Candidate for Diabetic Retinopathy

Roche has decided to stop development of vicasinabin, an oral drug cadidate being evaluated for non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, after completing phase 2 trials, according to a FiercePharma report. Roche announced is was discontinuing the clinical development of vicasinabin (RG7774), a CB2 agonist, during its third quarter earnings call. 

There are a few pharmacologic treatement candidates still in development for retina disease indications.

Ocuphire Pharma is developing oral candidate, APX3330, in diabetic retinopathy. In August, data from a phase 2 clinical trial of APX3330 was featured at the Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium, in Marco Island, Florida. The presentation “ZETA-1 Phase 2 Trial Safety and Tolerability Results for APX3330: A Novel, Oral Ref-1 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy” was delivered by Priya Vakharia MD, vitreo-retina specialist at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. The abstract received the Joanne Angle Abstract of Distinction Award out of nearly 600 submissions. In the ZETA-1 trial, APX3330 achieved statistical significance in preventing clinically meaningful progression of diabetic retinopathy, as measured by the percentage of subjects with binocular 3-step worsening in Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (DRSS). 

Bayer, InflammX Therapeutics, and Rezolute Bio also have oral, clinical-phase assets for diabetic eye diseases. 

During the third quarter earning report, Roche announced that Vabysmo's US market share has reached 19% in wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and 12% in diabetic macular edema (DME). Earlier this month, Roche's partner Genentech announced positive topline long-term results from the global phase 3 BALATON and COMINO studies evaluating extended treatment intervals with Vabysmo in macular edema due to branch and central retinal vein occlusion (BRVO and CRVO).