Allergan PLC and Molecular Partners AG reported on July 19 that in two Phase III clinical trials their longer-acting VEGF inhibitor abicipar pegol was non-inferior to Lucentis (ranibizumab) in treating neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but intraocular inflammation rates could dent the product's market potential unless the companies' new formulation reduces the side effect's frequency.
Currently available AMD treatment is less than ideal, since approved therapies require injections in the eye every four weeks, so Allergan and Molecular Partners worked together to develop a VEGF inhibitor that could be dosed every eight or 12 weeks