1 June 2023 - - US-based clinical-stage biotech company Aviceda Therapeutics has dosed its first patient with AVD-104 in its Phase 2 SIGLEC Trial TODAY by Ashkan Abbey, MD of Texas Retina Associates in Dallas, the company said.

This lead intravitreal asset is a novel glycan-coated nanoparticle, supported by a uniquely strong pre-clinical in vivo efficacy and safety profile, used for the treatment of geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

Aviceda is a private clinical-stage biotechnology company located in Cambridge, MA, with a proprietary HALOS nanotechnology platform and an IND-cleared ophthalmic lead product for geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

AVD-104 is an intravitreal nanoparticle molecule with a unique dual mechanism of action for the treatment of GA through its modulation of critical inflammatory pathways: 1) Direct inhibition of the activity of damaging phagocytic macrophages and repolarization of activated macrophages to their resolution state, and 2) inhibition of complement cascade amplification.

AVD-104 has demonstrated robust in-vitro/vivo efficacy with inhibition of both inflammatory & complement pathways and the potential for every 3- to 6-month dosing. Outstanding safety has been demonstrated in multiple animal models, including non-human primates, in which no signs of intraocular inflammation were seen.

In addition, AVD-104 has demonstrated anti-neovascular activity equivalent to that of aflibercept (Eylea) in a well-established ocular CNV model. SIGLEC Phase 2/3 clinical trial is currently enrolling for GA.

Along with AVD-104, Aviceda has a pipeline of products in development in ophthalmology and multiple other therapeutic areas, including neurology, oncology, fibrosis, and immunology.