Replies to post #6868 on Biotech Values

[bladerunner1717]

Isolution,

I get most of your point, but the clarity of your writing leaves something to be desired.

Can you explain the statement "all of the players in the field (Oxigene, Eyetech, Alcon, Allergan, SiRNA...) have made the choice for local DD and pursue research in the field for an alternative to needlestick,..."

What research are these companies doing for an alternative to needlestick that you actually know of? What alterntives exactly are you referring to?


Bladerunner

[DewDiligence]

isolution: What is your opinion of the InnoRx device? T.i.a.

I just finished listening to the SRDX-InnoRx CC and I think this platform is a nice fit for SRDX’s expertise in polymers. In theory, virtually any AMD drug can be formulated with SRDX’s polymers for slow-release delivery over a period as long as two years. That sure beats having to get 15-20 intravitreal injections over the same time period.

Moreover, a significant drawback of AMD/DME drugs that require regular retreatment is patient non-compliance: if a patient misses even one treatment, the course of the disease might be irrevocably affected. The InnoRx device does not have this problem.

[winchem21]

Squalamine may not be effective as intravitreal injection.

"Sincerely, for such a small PR, I've never seen a company in the field insisting so much on local drug delivery, all of the players in the field (Oxigene, Eyetech, Alcon, Allergan, SiRNA...) have made the choice for local DD and pursue research in the field for an alternative to needlestick,...except Genaera..."

GENR's reluctance to puruse local delivery may be based on previous results...

There is a 2002 article in Retina that reported squalamine's effectiveness (when administered systemically) in monkeys as a prophylatic and to help regress blood vessel growth that had already occurred; this same study showed that intravitreal injections (at the highest nontoxic in-the-eye dose) had no effect:

"RETINA 22:772–778, 2002

EFFECT OF SQUALAMINE ON IRIS NEOVASCULARIZATION IN MONKEYS
MAHMOUD GENAIDY, MD,* ABDUL A. KAZI, MD,* GHOLAM A. PEYMAN, MD,* ELKE PASSOS–MACHADO, MD,* HASSAN G. FARAHAT, MD,* JON I. WILLIAMS, PHD,†‡ KENNETH J. HOLROYD, MD,† DIANE A. BLAKE, PHD*

Conclusions: Intravitreally injected squalamine did not affect the development of iris neovascularization; however, systemic squalamine injection inhibited the development of iris neovascularization and caused partial regression of new vessels in a primate model.

Intravitreal Dosing:
Group 1: Intravitreal squalamine injection.—In Group 1, 3 microgram/0.1 mL of squalamine in 5% dextrose (the highest nontoxic dose determined in parallel experiments in the rabbit eye) was injected intravitreally in four eyes. Similarly, 0.1 mL of balanced salt solution (BSS) was injected intravitreally in four control eyes. Injections were started immediately after vein occlusion (day 1) and repeated every 3 days for 3 weeks.

Results:
The results of this experiment showed that systemic squalamine could prevent iris neovascularization formation when given prophylactically after retinal vein occlusion and induction of hypotony with corneal suture placement. Systemic squalamine was also demonstrated to be effective in the regression of already established iris neovascularization. We were unable to demonstrate the benefit of intravitreal injection of squalamine in preventing iris neovascularization, possibly because of the low concentration of the drug, its bioavailability, and the repeated surgical trauma caused by intravitreal injections in these eyes."


wc21