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Alcon terminates development of AMD treatment
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HUENENBERG, Switzerland — Alcon has terminated the development program designed to evaluate the benefit of anecortave acetate for reducing the risk of the progression from the dry form of age-related macular degeneration to the wet form of the disease, Alcon announced in a press release.
Retaane (anecortave acetate) ophthalmic suspension is an angiostatic cortisene that inhibits the abnormal growth of blood vessels, according to Alcon literature. The drug received an approvable letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year.
The decision to terminate the development program follows a planned interim analysis of studies that was performed after 2,546 patients had completed the 24-month time point. In this analysis, anecortave acetate showed no effect on primary or secondary endpoints.
Alcon has also terminated two identically designed smaller studies that were being conducted in Asia.
The company will continue to study anecortave acetate administered as an anterior juxtascleral depot for reducing IOP in patients with open-angle glaucoma, the release said.