Alcon terminates development of injectable anecortave acetate for IOP reduction

HUENENBERG, Switzerland — Alcon has terminated its development program of anecortave acetate for reducing IOP associated with glaucoma, the company announced in a press release.

The decision follows a review of 3-month interim efficacy and safety data from a phase 2 trial of Retaane (anecortave acetate) ophthalmic suspension that found even the highest doses of the drug were not sufficient for reducing IOP or addressing the issue of glaucoma patient compliance with eye drop therapy, the release said.

The study was designed to evaluate the safety and IOP-lowering efficacy of a single anterior juxtascleral injection of 24 mg, 48 mg and 60 mg doses of the drug against vehicle.

While the mean reduction in IOP among patients who received the 60 mg dose achieved statistical significance against placebo, all other doses failed to reach statistical significance.

"The search for alternative delivery routes and new mechanisms of action against glaucoma remain among Alcon's most important research strategies," Sabri Markabi, MD, Alcon's senior vice president of research and development and chief medical officer, said in the release. "While the results show the possibility of alternative, longer-term delivery for glaucoma patients, we are disappointed that anecortave acetate did not prove to have sufficient IOP reduction efficacy to be a successful treatment. However, we will continue our efforts to address the issues of efficacy, patient compliance and other unmet medical needs in the treatment of glaucoma in concert with leading independent researchers around the world."