LEVERKUSEN, Germany (Thomson Financial) - Bayer AG. said the VEGF Trap-Eye
injection it is developing with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. helped fight wet
age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) in the months following a 12-week
treatment.
In a phase II study, VEGF Trap-Eye was effective in treating wet AMD, one of
the main causes of blindness in adults, even in the 20 weeks after a initial
12-week fixed-dose regimen, Bayer said in a statement.
In the 20-weeks phase, VEGF Trap-Eye was only given to patients when needed,
the company added.
VEGF Trap-Eye was shown to reduce the abnormal thickness of the retina and
also improved patients' visual acuity over the full length of the trial, Bayer
said.
Last August, Bayer and Regeneron started enrolling patients for the third
and last phase of testing required for regulatory approval. The last phase will
test VEGF Trap-Eye against Genentech Inc.'s Lucentis.
VEGF Trap-Eye, an injection into the eye, is designed to subdue abnormal
growth of blood vessels beneath the retina, which causes wet AMD.
ludwig.burger@thomsonreuters.com
lb/am
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