XOMA looks to expand indications for compound to noninfectious uveitis

BERKELEY, Calif. — XOMA is expanding its gevokizumab phase 3 program to include patients with noninfectious uveitis involving the intermediate and/or posterior segments of the eye, according to a press release.

Designed to inhibit the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 beta, gevokizumab (formerly known as XOMA 052) already has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for treating Behçet's uveitis.

The larger program increases the potential patient pool in the United States from about 7,500 patients with Behçet's uveitis to an estimated 150,000 patients with noninfectious uveitis, the release said.

"The clinical team has worked diligently to assess the therapeutic potential for gevokizumab in [noninfectious uveitis] in an effort to maximize the value of our uveitis opportunity, particularly in the U.S.," John Varian, interim CEO of XOMA, said in the release. "We also wanted to pinpoint additional clinical indications where there is a clear medical need to expand the commercial potential of gevokizumab."

XOMA disclosed its intention to expand the testing beyond Behçet's uveitis to the FDA during its End of Phase 2 meeting, the release said. It will use the results of two planned studies - one in noninfectious uveitis and one in Behçet's - as the basis for a license in support of full noninfectious uveitis indications.