- Nitric oxide (NO)-donating phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors constitute new drug class for patients with glaucoma
- Lead molecule substantially and sustainably lowers intraocular pressure (IOP) in non-human primate model of ocular hypertension
- Potential for development as adjunctive therapy or in fixed-dose combinations with latanoprost or other prostaglandin analogs (PGAs) for lowering IOP in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension
Nicox SA (Euronext Paris: FR0013018124, COX), an international ophthalmology company, today announced that it has presented the first data from a new drug class designed to lower IOP – NO-donating PDE5 inhibitors – at a poster presentation during the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO 2019). The first lead molecule from the NO-donating PDE5 inhibitor program shows a substantial lowering of IOP in a non-human primate model of ocular hypertension.
Michele Garufi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nicox, said, “Our innovative nitric oxide donating research platform has generated a highly promising new compound to expand our industry-leading glaucoma portfolio. While our first generation NO-donating drug VYZULTA® is marketed by partner Bausch + Lomb, we expect to report Phase 2 top line results for our advanced second generation compound NCX 470 in Q4 of this year. Moreover, we are aiming to confirm a lead clinical candidate from the NO-donating PDE5 inhibitor program for further development in 2020.”
Nicox is focusing its research activities on combining NO-donation with other complementary mechanisms of action which are not currently utilized in any approved ophthalmic product, including PDE5 inhibition and soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulation. Molecules from these classes could be developed either as adjunctive therapies or in fixed-dose combinations with latanoprost or other PGAs for IOP lowering.
New data presented by Nicox at ARVO
- NCX 1741, a novel NO-donating derivative of the phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor avanafil, reduces IOP in models of ocular hypertension and glaucoma
- Concomitant dosing of the NO-donor NCX 667 (1%) and Xalatan® (latanoprost ophthalmic solution 0.005%) results in robust and sustained IOP-lowering in ocular normotensive dogs)
- Nonclinical development of NCX 470, a novel NO-donating, IOP lowering prostaglandin analog for glaucoma and ocular hypertension
- Preclinical Evaluation of NCX 4251, a Novel Steroid Therapy for Blepharitis, Targeted Directly to the Eyelid Margin to Reduce the Potential for IOP Elevation
ARVO 2019 took place from April 28-May 2, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada