Biotech Values

[DewDiligence]

Roche presents phase-2 results of lampalizumab* in dry AMD:

http://www.roche.com/investors/ir_update/inv-update-2013-08-27.htm

Roche...today announced positive phase II results from the MAHALO study demonstrating that lampalizumab (also referred to as anti-factor D) showed a 20.4 percent reduction rate in the area of geographic atrophy at 18 months in patients with this advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The MAHALO phase II data also showed no unexpected or unmanageable serious adverse events associated with lampalizumab. These data were presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

As long ago as 2006, it was apparent that Genentech (then a partially owned Roche subsidiary) thought highly of this drug, which was obtained from a small biotech company called Tanox in Genentech’s first-ever acquisition (#msg-14716934). A treatment for dry AMD—particularly the advanced form that is most likely to progress to wet AMD—remains a major unmet medical need.

*F/k/a TNX-234.