Oxular Limited, a clinical-stage ophthalmic company developing long-lasting targeted treatments for retinal disorders to improve patients’ vision, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted its Investigational new drug application (IND) for suprachoroidal OXU-001 for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME).
The IND enables advancement of the OXEYE Phase 2 trial, which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of OXU-001 and the potential to provide retinal specialists with a potent, long-lasting, safe, and broad-acting anti-edema and anti-inflammatory treatment for high-prevalence retinal disorders, beginning with DME.
OXU-001 is dexamethasone formulated in a novel biodegradable drug preparation known as Oxuspheres. OXU-001 will be delivered to the posterior suprachoroidal space of the eye via Oxulumis, Oxular’s proprietary illuminated microcatheter.
This in-office treatment could lead to enhanced efficacy, favorable tolerability, and extended durability to address key unmet needs for people with DME and other retinal disorders.
In 12-month preclinical studies, OXU-001 was well-tolerated and related pharmacokinetic data confirmed that therapeutic drug levels were consistently maintained in target retinal tissues. These data suggest that a single treatment of OXU-001 may provide up to twelve-month treatment effects with an improved clinical safety profile.
“The IND clearance for OXU-001 marks a significant milestone for Oxular,” said Thomas Cavanagh, CEO of Oxular. “DME is the most common and sight-threatening complication of diabetic eye disease and can be debilitating for patients who are often of working age. Today’s treatment approaches have limited durability, requiring frequent anti-VEGF injections into the eye. Also, typically more than two OZURDEX implants per year may be required. The opportunity to provide patients with a targeted, in-office treatment just once a year could be a game-changer for this prevalent disease. We look forward to advancing OXU-001 into the clinic and evaluating its therapeutic impact in 2023.”