Retina Research Update from AMD: Patient dosing underway in phase 2 geographic atrophy trial

Patient dosing underway in phase 2 geographic atrophy trial: Annexon has initiated patient dosing in a phase 2 trial investigating ANX007 for the treatment of geographic atrophy, regions of the retina where cells waste away and die, according to a press release. The efficacy and safety of anti-C1q therapy ANX007, an investigational monoclonal antibody antigen-binding fragment, will be studied in the randomized, multicenter, double-masked ARCHER trial.

The reduction of areas of geographic atrophy will be evaluated by fundus autofluorescence, with the study including monthly and bimonthly dosing schedules. “This program harnesses our targeted anti-C1q approach, fully inhibiting the classical complement pathway with the aim of halting the damaging immune response and nerve damage that occurs in the eye,” Douglas Love, president and CEO of Annexon, said in the release. The therapy is intended to bind to C1q and “inhibit activation of all downstream components of the classical complement cascade, including C3 and C5,” according to the release.

The therapy does not interfere with normal C3 and C5 function. Phase 1 studies showed that intravitreal ANX007 demonstrated full C1q inhibition at 29 days and was well tolerated. 

Healio 3/3/2021; https://www.healio.com/news/ophthalmology/20210303/patient-dosing-underway-in-phase-2-geographic-atrophy-trial