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VEGF Trap study for AMD begins
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A treatment that may block proteins thought to damage retinal blood vessels has begun trials in humans, the companies developing the treatment announced.
The phase 1 clinical trial of the VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) Trap for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration is a randomized, placebo-controlled dose-escalating study, according to a press release from Aventis and Regeneron, the drug’s marketers. The press release did not give a generic name or any designation for the drug under study other than the trade name VEGF Trap.
Based on safety and tolerability measurements in the initial phase 1 treatment period, patients may be allowed to continue treatment with VEGF Trap in a 1-year open-label safety study, the press release noted.
Patients enrolled in the study will receive VEGF Trap via intravenous infusions. According to preclinical studies conducted at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, the treatment inhibited the growth of new blood vessels when given intravenously and when administered intraocularly.
The VEGF Trap is already in phase 1 trials by Regeneron for the treatment of solid tumor malignancies and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.