Positive new Ph III data on ThromboGenics' ocriplasmin

Belgian ophthalmic drug developer ThromboGenics (Euronext Brussels: THR) has presented strong new data, including six month outcomes, from its pivotal ocriplasmin Phase III clinical program at the  2011 annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) currently taking place in Boston.

Ocriplasmin is a novel pharmacological agent being investigated for the treatment of symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) including macular holes. Symptomatic VMA is a condition when the vitreous gel adheres in an abnormally strong manner to the retina. VMA can lead to loss or distortion of visual acuity. Market research conducted by ThromboGenics suggests that there are around 500,000 patients in the USA and major markets of the European Union who would benefit from ocriplasmin if it were approved for symptomatic VMA including macular holes.

In 2010, ocriplasmin successfully completed two pivotal Phase III trials (TG-MV-006 and TG-MV-007) involving a total of 652 patients in Europe and the USA, both of which met the primary endpoint of non-surgical resolution of focal vitreomacular adhesion one month after a single injection of ocriplasmin.