Controlled release of a multi-functional therapeutic for the treatment of AMD

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in older adults. The neovascular form of the disease (NVAMD) is primarily responsible for severe vision loss. Current NVAMD treatments involve repeated intraocular injections of biologics that neutralize vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an important neovascular (NV) stimulus. Aflibercept (Eylea(R)), approved in late 2011, provides an incremental benefit over ranibizumab (Lucentis(R)) and bevacizumab (Avastin(R)), as it reduces injection frequency to every 2 months, from the monthly treatment regimen recommended for the other anti-VEGF agents. However, intraocular injection frequencies of 6-12 times a year remain a major burden on patients and health care providers. Through the screening of over 10,000 compounds, we have identified small molecules that are highly neuroprotective of cultured primary retinal ganglion cells. One of these compounds, FDA-approved for an unrelated indication,