Bayer and Regeneron to develop new eye combination therapy
Bayer and Regeneron are to jointly develop a combination therapy of two ophthalmology drugs for treatment of serious eye disesaes.
The companies, which have already developed and marketed the eye drug Eylea (aflibercept), said today they will develop the combination of angiopoietin2 (Ang2) antibody nesvacumab and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) trap aflibercept.
They are being trialled at phase 2 in a co-formulated single intravitreal injection, known as REGN910-3, in patients with wet age-related macular degeneration or diabetic macular oedema.
Regeneron will receive a $50 million upfront payment and will share global development costs for the programme with Bayer.
Bayer will have exclusive commercialisation rights to the combination product outside the US and will share potential profits equally with Regeneron. In the US, Regeneron retains exclusive commercialisation rights and will retain all profits from sales.
Regeneron is also eligible to receive up to $80 million in potential payments related to development and regulatory milestones.
Angiopoietins, discovered by scientists at Regeneron, are a family of vascular growth factors. Preclinical data demonstrates that angiopoietins act together with the VEGF family to promote the formation and maturation of blood and lymphatic vessels in the eye.
Ang2 and VEGF together therefore could influence the pathological development of new blood vessels and the permeability of blood vessel walls in certain diseases of the eye, the companies said.
Bayer and Regeneron already collaborate on the global development and commercialisation of Eylea injection and on the global development of REGN2176-3, an antibody to Platelet Derived Growth Factor Receptor Beta (PDGFR-beta) co-formulated in a single intravitreal injection with aflibercept, which is in phase 2 clinical trials for patients with wet age-related macular degeneration.
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