Background: Lucentis® is an effective drug for treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Currently, the drug is directly injected into the retina by a doctor approximately every four to six weeks, a frequency that can be inconvenient to patients. Scientists are exploring ways to reduce the frequency of doctor visits and eliminate the need for retinal injections.

New Delivery Method: Genentech and Roche—manufacturers and distributors of Lucentis—have entered into a partnership with ForSight VISION4—makers of a refillable drug port delivery system (PDS)—to create a new treatment for wet AMD. One end of the PDS capsule-like device bathes the retina with the sight-preserving drug. The other end is an external port that allows doctors to periodically replenish the supply of Lucentis. Genentech has predicted that visits could be reduced to every four months for refill by needle injection into the external port.

Currently, ForSight VISION4 is testing delivery of Lucentis by this new device in a Phase Ia clinical trial in Latvia. So far, the results look promising. Genentech is writing an Investigational New Drug application for a Phase Ib clinical trial to take place in the United States. Patient recruitment for the trial may begin at the end of 2012 or the beginning of 2013, pending permission by the US Food and Drug Administration.

For more details of the partnership and clinical trials, please refer to the press release from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.