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Biotechs Eye Macular Degeneration

 
• By Ellen Licking

Spurred by the commercial success of Lucentis, start-ups developing new therapeutics for AMD tap into a growing understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. In this issue, we profile five emerging AMD drug developers: Acucela, Iconic Therapeutics, MacuCLEAR, Ophthotech, Optherion and Sirion Therapeutics.

It has been three years since Roche’s Genentech Inc. launched its vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor ranibizumab (Lucentis), quickly capturing the lion’s share of the market for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) from competing treatments such as QLT Inc.’s photodynamic therapy verteporfin (Visudyne) and Pfizer Inc./OSI Pharmaceuticals LLC’s anti-VEGF treatment pegaptanib (Macugen). Lucentis’s rapid adoption by ophthalmologists—in 2008 the drug racked up sales totaling $875 million in the US alone—illustrates the importance of having a clinically superior therapy.

With a highly effective therapy on the market for AMD—Genentech’s antibody fragment stops progression of AMD in virtually all patients...

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Final Chance To Have Your Say: Take Scrip's Reader Survey This Week

 
• By Eleanor Malone

Editor’s note: This is your final call to participate in the survey to better understand our subscribers’ content and delivery needs. The deadline is 20 September.

Shape Our Content: Take The Reader Survey

 
• By Eleanor Malone

Editor’s note: We are conducting a survey to better understand our subscribers’ content and delivery needs. If there are any changes you’d like to see in the coverage topics, content format or the method in which you receive and access Scrip, or if you love it how it is, now is the time to have your voice heard.

Galapagos Expands Point-Of-Care CAR-T Study To The US

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

CEO Paul Stoffels said gaining US clearance for an IND for its novel CAR-T product was demanding, but now opens up a pathway towards a pivotal study starting in 2025.

Analysts Split On Eisai’s Chances Of Changing EU Regulator’s Mind On Leqembi

 
• By Andrew McConaghie

A final rejection of Leqembi could also spell the same fate for Lilly’s rival drug but public outcry and demand for Alzheimer’s therapies might force the regulator’s hand

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Stock Watch: Q2 Sales Growth Sparks Diverging Reactions To J&J And Novartis

 
• By Andy Smith

With drug sector indexes underperforming the broad market in the first half of 2025, investors may have been anticipating tariff-related and other headwinds. But impending loss of exclusivity on key products may be provoking more anxiety at this point.

Sanofi Doubles Down On Respiratory Vaccines With Vicebio Buy

 
• By Kevin Grogan

The French major is paying $1.15bn For the UK biotech and its bivalent candidate, VXB-241.

Chinese Biotechs Sweep ADC Plus PD-(L)1/VEGF Bispecific Combos Into Phase II

 
• By Dexter Jie Yan

Chinese firms Junshi, Minghui and RemeGen rank among the world’s few players progressing antibody-drug conjugates combined with PD-(L)1/VEGF bispecific antibodies in Phase II trials for various cancers.