More and more people are suffering from serious eye diseases, making the search for appropriate treatment options all the more urgent. Ocular Therapeutix, a leading biotechnology company from the USA, has several promising solutions in development. Let’s take a closer look!
The number of people affected by serious eye diseases has reached an alarming level. In Germany alone, around ten million people are at acute risk of vision problems. Hopes for effective treatment methods are correspondingly high. This is where the US biotech company Ocular Therapeutix, which specializes in precisely these challenges, comes in. The company has several promising projects in its development pipeline.
Ocular Therapeutix: a strong platform
Ocular has an extremely promising platform known as the “Hydrogel Delivery Platform”. This platform forms the basis for a broad pipeline of products focused on four billion-dollar markets: Retinal Diseases, Glaucoma, Ocular Surface Diseases and the Surgical market.
With Dextenza, the company has already established a product on the market that has proven itself in the surgical field. Dextenza is based on an innovative mechanism of action. It is placed in the lacrimal punctum and the tear duct and releases dexamethasone over a period of up to 30 days without the need for preservatives. The drug is then absorbed and leaves the area without needing to be removed.
A promising pipeline
Enormous market opportunities
Market volume in trillions of dollars
Ocular Therapeutix is targeting four billion markets with its pipeline candidates such as OTX-TKI and OTX-TIC.
Dextenza is an impressive product that has already demonstrated the expertise of Ocular Therapeutix.
However, the other projects in the pipeline are even more promising. Here, Ocular was able to score points with several groundbreaking innovations for the treatment of AMD. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a chronic disease that in most cases affects both eyes and is caused by a metabolic disorder. It affects the macula, an area of the retina that is very important for clear vision. It is estimated that it could affect one in four people in the EU by 2050. There are two forms of the disease: wet and dry AMD. Wet AMD usually develops quickly and can lead to blindness if left untreated. Dry AMD progresses more slowly but cannot yet be treated effectively. In this disease, patients lose central vision, making it impossible to read and recognize faces.
The latest study data on OTX TKI, which was developed by Ocular for the treatment of wet AMD and published a few weeks ago, are extremely promising. A study relevant for approval is due to start this year. Although there are already several known drugs for the treatment of the disease, such as Kylea from Bayer, Avastin from Roche or Lucentis from Novartis, Conventional treatments require repeated injections at relatively short intervals. In contrast, according to study results, Ocular’s drug shows a duration of effect of up to ten months before the next injection is required. Ocular also has promising programs in development for the dry form of AMD. In addition, the company is working on a number of other strong projects, including the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. The pivotal trial for OTX-TKI for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy is expected to start early next year. Top-line data for OTX-TIC for the treatment of glaucoma and elevated intraocular pressure will also be published this year.
Important developments in Ocular’s pipeline candidates are expected in the coming months. If these are as convincing as the recent study data on wet AMD, this could help the share to continue its recent upward movement. The potential is enormous, as Ocular is targeting four billion-dollar markets. It is likely that Ocular has already aroused the interest of some pharmaceutical companies in a possible takeover.