Phase IIb data suggest promise for ReVision's oral fenretinide in treating dry AMD

Privately-held US ophthalmic drug developer ReVision Therapeutics yesterday announced results from a Phase IIb trial suggesting that fenretinide (RT-101) slows lesion growth and preserves visual acuity in patients with geographic atrophy (GA), the most advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The data, presented at annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Chicago, showed that a sustained reduction in retinol binding protein (RBP) levels of 60% to 75% was predictive of positive treatment response to fenretinide. Patients receiving the drug who achieved this RBP reduction threshold experienced a around 49% slower rate of lesion growth compared to patients receiving placebo.

Visual acuity was also preserved in patients experiencing a sustained RBP reduction. Additionally, fenretinide reduced the incidence of CNV, the more sight-threatening wet form of AMD, by about 40 percent. Taken together, these results suggest that once-daily oral dosing of fenretinide has the potential to slow progression of dry AMD and prevent the onset of wet AMD in GA patients.