Optigo Biotherapeutics Advances Long-Acting Anti-VEGF Therapy XPK-640 Toward IND-Enabling Studies
Key Insights
Optigo Biotherapeutics (search)' lead anti-VEGF (search) candidate XPK-640 (search) demonstrated 10-fold extended half-life in nonhuman primate studies, maintaining therapeutic levels for 29-50 days compared to current therapies.
The vitreous-anchoring platform showed potential for 12-month dosing intervals in preclinical models, significantly longer than standard anti-VEGF (search) agents or implant-based systems.
XPK-640 (search) extended time to vascular leakage by 4-fold in VEGF (search) challenge models, with no systemic exposure detected following intravitreal injection.
Optigo Biotherapeutics (search) is advancing its lead anti-VEGF (search) asset XPK-640 (search) toward pre-Investigational New Drug (IND) and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) toxicology studies for wet age-related macular degeneration (search), following promising preclinical data that suggest the potential for dramatically extended dosing intervals.
Extended Durability in Preclinical Studies
Pharmacokinetic studies in nonhuman primate cynomolgus monkeys demonstrated that XPK-640 (search) extended the half-life of drug in the aqueous humor 10-fold compared to current therapies. According to Dr. David Boyer of Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group, "There were no systemic or ocular adverse events" in these studies.
Dr. Arshad Khanani of Sierra Eye Associates noted that "the drug maintained therapeutic levels in the eye for 29 to 50 days, over 10 times longer than aflibercept and was well tolerated, with no detectable systemic exposure following intravitreal injection."
Vitreous-Anchoring Platform Technology
The company's bispecific anti-VEGF (search) molecules incorporate a vitreous-anchoring mechanism designed to enhance ocular residence time. Preclinical pharmacokinetic data from cynomolgus nonhuman primates indicate that the platform could sustain therapeutic drug levels for up to 12 months with the equivalent of a 2 mg aflibercept dose.
Dr. Harpal Sandhu of Retina Northwest explained that "in primate models, the approach sustained drug levels for up to 12 months following a single injection—substantially longer than standard anti-VEGF (search) agents or implant-based delivery systems."
This represents a significant advancement over current standard-of-care intravitreal injections, which are typically limited to a maximum of 16-week dosing intervals. Even surgical implant devices like ranibizumab injection (Susvimo) extend durability only to every 6 months.
Efficacy in Challenge Models
In VEGF (search) challenge models, XPK-640 (search) demonstrated superior durability compared to existing therapies. Using the molar equivalent of 2 mg aflibercept, the time to leakage was extended 3.5 times compared with a single aflibercept injection, according to Dr. Boyer.
Dr. Khanani reported that "XPK-640 (search) extended the time to vascular leakage in rabbits by 4 times compared with aflibercept, consistent with a 5-fold increase in ocular half-life observed in PK studies."
Clinical Development Strategy
The preclinical results are guiding Optigo's clinical development strategy. The first-in-human trial in patients with treatment-naïve wet AMD will likely be conducted without loading doses, aiming to reduce initial treatment burden and evaluate whether a single injection can achieve meaningful disease control.
Dr. Khanani outlined the study parameters: "The study will assess anatomical and functional outcomes, including retinal drying, improvements in BCVA, time to rescue injection, and total number of injections over a 48-week period."
The clinical trial will assess safety, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography drying effect, and time to first rescue XPK-640 (search) after one intravitreal injection. Based on preclinical data, many patients have the potential to remain rescue-free for 6 months or longer following a single dose.
Potential Impact on Treatment Burden
The extended durability could significantly impact patient care in retinal diseases. Dr. Boyer noted that "the reduction in treatment burden to the patients, caretakers, and physicians can be huge, increasing compliance."
Current standard of care involves intravitreal injections of anti-VEGF (search) medications monthly and then on a treat-and-extend basis, with many patients requiring less than 8-week dosing intervals, though some may extend to 16-20 weeks.
The company recently expanded its leadership by appointing Andreas Wallnöfer, PhD, MBA, to the Board of Directors as it prepares for pre-IND meetings with the FDA and advancement into IND-enabling studies.