SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), today announced positive topline results from two global Phase III studies, BALATON and COMINO, evaluating the first and only bispecific antibody for the eye, Vabysmo® (faricimab-svoa), in macular edema due to branch and central retinal vein occlusion (BRVO and CRVO). RVO is a vision-threatening condition that impacts more than 1 million people in the United States.

Both studies met their primary endpoints, showing that people with macular edema due to BRVO and CRVO receiving Vabysmo injections every four weeks, for up to 24 weeks, achieved non-inferior visual acuity gains compared to those receiving aflibercept injections every four weeks.

“These encouraging data demonstrate that Vabysmo could potentially provide a new treatment option for people living with retinal vein occlusion, a serious retinal vascular condition that can lead to irreversible vision impairment or vision loss,” said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “Today’s results add to the extensive evidence supporting Vabysmo’s efficacy in treating multiple types of retinal conditions. We look forward to submitting these data to regulatory authorities.”

Vabysmo also showed rapid drying of retinal fluid from baseline through week 24, as measured by reduction in central subfield thickness.

In both studies, Vabysmo was generally well tolerated. The safety profile was consistent with previous trials.

Detailed results will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting and submitted to regulatory authorities around the world.

Vabysmo targets and inhibits two disease pathways linked to a number of vision-threatening retinal conditions by neutralizing angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). While research is underway to better understand the role of the Ang-2 pathway in retinal disease, Ang-2 and VEGF-A are thought to contribute to vision loss by destabilizing blood vessels, which may cause new leaky blood vessels to form and increase inflammation. By blocking pathways involving Ang-2 and VEGF-A, Vabysmo is designed to stabilize blood vessels. The level of Ang-2 is elevated in RVO and it is thought that increased Ang-2 expression drives disease progression.

To date, Vabysmo is approved in more than 40 countries around the world, including the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, for people living with wet, or neovascular, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). Vabysmo’s long-term efficacy and safety in wet AMD and DME has been demonstrated by two-year data from four large, global studies involving more than 3,000 participants. Vabysmo is the only injectable eye medicine approved for wet AMD and DME by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with the option for treatments from one to four months apart in the first year following four initial monthly loading doses, based on evaluation of the patient’s anatomy and vision outcomes. Globally, more than 165,000 Vabysmo doses have been distributed for treatment of these conditions to date. RVO, wet AMD and DME together affect around 3 million people in the United States and are among the leading causes of vision loss.

About Retinal Vein Occlusion

Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is the second most common cause of vision loss due to retinal vascular diseases. It affects more than 1 million people in the U.S., mainly those aged 50 or older, and can lead to severe and sudden vision loss. The level of angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) is elevated in RVO, and it is thought that increased Ang-2 expression drives disease progression. RVO typically results in sudden, painless vision loss in the affected eye because the vein blockage restricts normal blood flow in the affected retina, resulting in ischemia, bleeding, fluid leakage, and retinal swelling called macular edema. Currently, macular edema due to RVO is typically treated with repeated intravitreal injection of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapies. There are two main types of RVO: branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO), which affects an estimated 887,000 people in the U.S. and occurs when one of the four smaller “branches” of the main central retinal vein becomes blocked; and central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), which is less common, affecting an estimated 265,000 people in the U.S., and occurs when the eye’s central retinal vein becomes blocked.

About the BALATON and COMINO Studies

BALATON (NCT04740905) and COMINO (NCT04740931) are two randomized, multicenter, double-masked, global Phase III studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of Vabysmo®️ (faricimab-svoa) compared to aflibercept. For the first 20 weeks, patients are randomized 1:1 to receive six monthly injections of either Vabysmo (6.0 mg) or aflibercept (2.0 mg). From weeks 24-72, all patients receive Vabysmo (6.0 mg) up to every four months – according to a personalized treatment interval dosing regimen – using a treat-and-extend approach.

The BALATON study is being conducted in 553 people with branch retinal vein occlusion. The COMINO study is being conducted in 729 people with central retinal or hemiretinal vein occlusion.

The primary endpoint of each study is the change in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline at 24 weeks. Secondary endpoints include change in central subfield thickness from baseline over time up to week 24.

About the Vabysmo® (faricimab-svoa) Clinical Development Program

Genentech has a robust Phase III clinical development program for Vabysmo. The program includes AVONELLE-X, an extension study of TENAYA and LUCERNE evaluating the long-term safety and tolerability of Vabysmo in wet, or neovascular, macular degeneration (AMD), and RHONE-X, an extension study of YOSEMITE and RHINE evaluating the long-term safety and tolerability of Vabysmo in diabetic macular edema (DME). Genentech has also initiated the Phase IV Elevatum study of Vabysmo in underrepresented patient populations with DME and supports several other independent studies to further understand retinal conditions with a high unmet need.

About Vabysmo® (faricimab-svoa)

Vabysmo (faricimab-svoa) is the first bispecific antibody approved for the eye. It targets and inhibits two disease pathways linked to a number of vision-threatening retinal conditions by neutralizing angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). While research is underway to better understand the role of the Ang-2 pathway in retinal disease, Ang-2 and VEGF-A are thought to contribute to vision loss by destabilizing blood vessels, which may cause new leaky blood vessels to form and increase inflammation. By blocking pathways involving Ang-2 and VEGF-A, Vabysmo is designed to stabilize blood vessels.

Vabysmo U.S. Indications

Vabysmo (faricimab-svoa) is a prescription medicine given by injection into the eye, used to treat adults with neovascular (wet) age‑related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME).

Important Safety Information

Contraindications

Vabysmo is contraindicated in patients who have an infection in or around their eye, have active swelling around their eye that may include pain and redness, or are allergic to Vabysmo or any of the ingredients in Vabysmo.

Warnings and Precautions

• Injections like the one for Vabysmo can cause an eye infection (endophthalmitis) or separation of layers of the retina (retinal detachment). Patients should seek medical care if they experience increasing eye pain, vision loss, sensitivity to light, or redness in the white of the eye.
• Vabysmo may cause a temporary increase in pressure in the eye (intraocular pressure), which occurs 60 minutes after the injection.
• Although not common, Vabysmo patients have had serious, sometimes fatal, problems related to blood clots, such as heart attacks or strokes (thromboembolic events). In clinical studies for wet AMD during the first year, 7 out of 664 patients treated with Vabysmo reported such an event. In DME studies during the first year, 25 out of 1,262 patients treated with Vabysmo reported such an event.

Adverse Reactions

The most common adverse reaction (≥5%) reported in patients receiving Vabysmo was blood on the white of the eye (conjunctival hemorrhage, 7%). These are not all the possible side effects of Vabysmo.

Pregnancy, Lactation, Females and Males of Reproductive Potential

• Based on how Vabysmo interacts with your body, there may be a potential risk to an unborn baby. Patients should use birth control before their first injection, during their treatment with Vabysmo, and for 3 months after their last dose of Vabysmo.
• It is not known if Vabysmo passes into breast milk. Patients should talk to their healthcare provider about the best way to feed their baby if they receive Vabysmo.

Patients may report side effects to the FDA at (800) FDA-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Patients may also report side effects to Genentech at (888) 835-2555.

Please see additional Important Safety Information in the full Vabysmo Prescribing Information.

About Genentech in Ophthalmology

Genentech is researching and developing new treatments for people living with a range of eye diseases that cause significant visual impairment and blindness, including wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), diabetic retinopathy (DR), geographic atrophy (GA) and other retinal diseases.

About Genentech

Founded more than 40 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.

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