BioSpace: TargeGen Selects Lead Drug for Clinical Development as a Topical (Eyedrop) Treatment for Wet Macular Degeneration and Other Eye Diseases
July 28, 2005
SAN DIEGO, July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- TargeGen, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focusing on the development of small molecule drugs for the treatment of edema and angiogenesis related diseases, today announced that TG 100801, a potent, selective, and topically administered multi-target kinase inhibitor, has been designated as a lead drug for clinical development in the treatment of major eye diseases including macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. Current treatments for wet macular degeneration have demonstrated limited efficacy to date and require injection into the eye, thus increasing the risk of infection and retinal detachment.
Pre-clinical studies conducted to date with TG100801 have shown in multiple species that the compound delivered in eye drop form is able to penetrate the eye and achieve potentially effective therapeutic levels in the choroid and retinal region of the eye. Additional studies conducted by outside investigators in pre-clinical models of VEGF mediated retinal leakage and choroidal neovascularization have shown that TG100801 test results in those models were equal to or better than results compared with certain injectable VEGF inhibitors in the same models. "While we are still early in the drug development process, we are very enthusiastic about TG100801. This drug candidate has the potential to be a first in class and best in class compound for the treatment of leading causes of adult blindness and may represent the first meaningful alternative to compounds that require intra-vitreal injection in the treatment of AMD and other important eye diseases," stated Peter G. Ulrich, President, CEO and Co-Founder of TargeGen.
TG100801, a compound internally discovered at TargeGen, is a small molecule, topically applied compound that acts to inhibit vascular permeability (VEGF mediated retinal leakage), angiogenesis, and inflammation simultaneously. Angiogenesis, retinal leakage and inflammation are pathological hallmarks of wet macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. These three conditions are leading causes of adult blindness or debilitating vision loss and affect more than 6 million patients in Europe, North America and Japan.
About TargeGen, Inc.
TargeGen, Inc. is a privately held vascular biology-focused biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego, CA.
TargeGen, formed in 2002, has raised more than $40M from venture capital sources. Key investors include Forward Ventures, Enterprise Partners, William Blair Capital Partners/Chicago Growth Partners, CDP Capital Technology Ventures/VantagePoint Venture Partners, A.M. Pappas & Associates, China Development Industrial Bank and other investors.
Source: TargeGen, Inc.