Aequus, reVision to collaborate on Stargardt disease treatment
Aequus Pharmaceuticals and reVision Therapeutics will collaborate to develop a treatment for Stargardt disease, according to a press release.
In addition, the agreement grants Aequus the option to acquire the North American commercial rights to REV-0100 from reVision.
“We believe that the existing efficacy data in animal models of Stargardt disease and established safety profile of the REV-0100 drug substance provide real hope for Stargardt disease patients who presently have no approved therapeutic options,” Paul Fehlner, co-founder and president of reVision Therapeutics, said in the release.
REV-0100, which has been designated by the FDA as an orphan drug and a rare pediatric disease drug for the treatment of Stargardt disease, has been shown to reduce elevated levels of lipofuscin in preclinical research, the release said.
Aequus will initially invest $400,000 in reVision with the option to fully fund development of REV-0100 in exchange for North American rights, the release said. Clinical trials to evaluate REV-0100 in patients with Stargardt disease are expected to begin in late 2021 or early 2022.