PharmAbcine, Inc. announced that its TIE2-activating antibody candidate, PMC-403, has received unanimous safety approval from the Safety Review Committee (SRC) for the 4mg single ascending dose (SAD) cohort in its Phase 1 clinical trial for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD). The company is now preparing to begin enrollment for the 4mg multiple ascending dose (MAD) cohort.
PMC-403: A Novel Approach to AMD Treatment
PMC-403 is a novel TIE2-activating antibody designed to stabilize pathological, leaky blood vessels, offering a unique mechanism of action for treating nAMD. TIE2 receptors, expressed on endothelial cells, play a critical role in vessel normalization processes such as angiogenesis and intercellular adhesion, thereby inhibiting the progression of AMD. This Phase 1 trial (NCT05953012) targets patients with neovascular AMD who no longer respond to anti-VEGF standard therapies. The successful confirmation of safety and tolerability at the 4mg single dose paves the way for advancing to the multiple-dosing phase.
Clinical Significance and Future Plans
"The successful completion of the 4mg single-dose study is a significant milestone, highlighting the potential of PMC-403 as a breakthrough treatment for AMD," stated Dr. Weon Sup Lee, Head of R&D and Chief Technology Officer at PharmAbcine. "As we move forward with the multiple-dose study, we aim to gather additional safety and efficacy data to establish a robust foundation for Phase 2 trials."
Macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness, results from aging-related damage to the retina, particularly due to the development of abnormal blood vessels in the macula. The global aging population has led to a rapid increase in cases, and current treatments with anti-VEGF inhibitors are often insufficient for complete treatment. Consequently, there is a growing demand for therapies with novel mechanisms of action. PharmAbcine plans to initiate a Phase 2 trial after confirming the safety and efficacy of the 4mg multiple-dose cohort.
Expanding Therapeutic Applications
Beyond ophthalmology, PMC-403 is being explored in therapeutic areas, including vascular-related rare diseases, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury, oncology and kidney diseases. PharmAbcine has collaborated with Dr. Kirk Druey, former Chief of the NIH's Lung and Vascular Inflammation Section, to explore PMC-403's efficacy in animal models for Systemic Capillary Leak Syndrome (SCLS, also known as Clarkson disease). PMC-403 received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the U.S. FDA for the treatment of SCLS on February 21, 2023.
