SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO - Genentech, part of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY (OTC:RHHBY)), has announced new data from its global Phase III studies, indicating that its drug Vabysmo (faricimab-svoa) has maintained vision gains and effective retinal drying for over a year in patients with macular edema due to retinal vein occlusion (RVO). Nearly 60% of participants in the BALATON study and up to 48% in the COMINO study were able to extend their treatment intervals to three or four months, a significant increase from the typical monthly or bimonthly treatments for RVO.
The studies, which involved over 1,200 participants, demonstrated that Vabysmo, initially administered monthly for six months, continued to show benefits when the dosage was extended up to every four months. This could potentially reduce the number of clinic visits for patients. The safety profile of Vabysmo remained consistent with previous studies.
Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., Genentech's chief medical officer, emphasized the significance of these long-term results, which build on existing clinical data supporting Vabysmo as an effective treatment option for retinal conditions that can lead to vision loss.
The findings will be presented on February 3 at the Angiogenesis, Exudation, and Degeneration 2024 conference organized by the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Florida. Ramin Tadayoni, M.D., Ph.D., who is presenting the data, highlighted the need for more treatment options to better serve people living with RVO and suggested that Vabysmo might improve outcomes while decreasing the frequency of treatments.
Vabysmo is a bispecific antibody that targets two pathways associated with several vision-threatening conditions by neutralizing angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). It is approved in over 90 countries for wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema, and in October 2023, it received U.S. FDA approval for the treatment of macular edema following RVO.
The BALATON and COMINO studies are part of Genentech's extensive clinical development program for Vabysmo, which includes several Phase III and IV studies aimed at understanding and treating retinal diseases with high unmet needs. The information is based on a press release statement.
InvestingPro Insights
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