Ophthalmology (Dry AMD) is going to be a huge market opportunity for MANF:
We believe RP is just the beginning of the MANF story in ophthalmology. Other neurotrophic factors have begun to show promise in many diseases in the area and the data announced earlier this week scientifically supports development in many therapeutic indications beyond RP in ophthalmology, including Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD). Dry AMD affects approximately 15 million people in the United States. 14%-24% of the U.S. population age 65-74 years and 35% of people aged 75 years or older have the disease[1]. Currently, there are no available disease-modifying treatments for Dry AMD, making the opportunity for MANF so attractive. MANF’s development in RP may accelerate the pathway for it to reach the significantly larger Dry AMD patient population by proving cone and rod protection in humans in the smaller RP population first.
Ophthalmology has taken on significantly greater interest as of late from major players in the biopharmaceutical industry: Pfizer Inc. (PFE), Allergan Inc. (AGN), Alcon Inc. (ACL), Novartis AG (NVS), Merck & co. Inc. (MRK) and Roche (RHHBY) cover approximately 70% of the $10 billion market. The primary reason why the ophthalmology market is currently so small is very simple: very few effective disease-modifying treatments exist. Interestingly, the FDA notes that only 21 new drugs were approved in the last 10 years, suggesting a significant lack of breakthrough biology in this space, as evidenced by these companies’ thin ophthalmology pipelines. What’s more, these companies have primarily added drug candidates to their pipelines through in-licensure and strategic transactions, making the opportunity even more appealing for Amarantus. There is no question that the medical outcome of new, truly disease-modifying treatments in the area will have a meaningful impact on patients’ lives; being able to see versus being blind is a massive improvement in quality of life that would undoubtedly be highly coveted by patients, caregivers and physicians.
