Topical squalamine shows encouraging results in phase 2 studies

VIENNA — Final results of the phase 2 IMPACT study of topical squalamine lactate in the treatment of neovascular AMD showed a trend toward increased efficacy in specific lesion types, according to a speaker. Squalamine is a small molecule that counteracts multiple growth factors implicated in the angiogenic process, including VEGF and PDGF, Jeffrey Heier, MD, said at the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting. The IMPACT study evaluated the effects of OHR-102 (0.2% squalamine lactate ophthalmic solution, Ohr Pharmaceutical) in combination with anti-VEGF in treatment-naïve patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and vision between 20/40 and 20/320. Patients recruited across 23 U.S. sites received Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) injection at day zero and then were randomized 1-to-1 to squalamine topical therapy or placebo eye drops administered twice daily. Patients were followed monthly and re-treated with ranibizumab as needed based on strict OCT-guided criteria. The number of re-treatments were similar between the two groups.