Biotech Values

[isolution]

Retaane withdrawal and Oxigene

Hi Dew,

My interest in the Retaane new is more a disapointment in fact. You know that I've always been cautious about intravitreal approach for whatever the PRs pretend on the subject, you cannot neglect side-effects due to intravitreal injections (endophthalmitis) and long-term perspectives.
Alcon had been courageous by promoting the transscleral approach from the beginning although they could choose an intravitreal approach (like off-label use of triamcinolone, similar to Alcon's anecortave). I think they are a precursor and that one day or another, intravitreally administered drug will switch to a less invasive administration mode.
Oxigene has the same philosophy, they've tried non-invasive approach for AMD for a long time without success. All the numbers are in their US patent application 20030181531 (http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fn....
In the examples of combretastatin local administration, you'll see that topical administration does not seem sufficient as first line treatment but their idea of a single intravitreal injection followed by maintenance therapy seems to me a cleaver compromise for minimizing the potential side-effects .

Regards