Aerpio Therapeutics Presents Full Results from Phase 1b/2a Study of AKB-9778
Aerpio Therapeutics Presents Full Results from Phase 1b/2a Study of AKB-9778 for the Treatment of
Diabetic Macular Edema at ARVO Annual Meeting, Cincinnati, OH, May 5, 2014.
In the study, one month of daily AKB-9778 treatment
was well-tolerated, produced clinically meaningful reduction in retinal thickness,
with concomitant improvement in visual acuity, in some of the patients.
Tie2 plays a central role in maintaining vascular integrity, which prevents vascular leak seen in
conditions such as DME. AKB-9778 activates Tie2 by inhibiting the natural brake of Tie2, human protein
tyrosine phosphatase β (HPTP β). This is the first study to show that activation of Tie2 can have a
beneficial effect in patients with DME.
“Alternative therapies are needed for treating patients with DME who have persistent macular edema
and vision loss despite frequent anti-VEGF injections and also for patients who don’t want or don’t
tolerate intravitreal injections,” said Jeffrey Heier, MD, Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston. “Based on
these early clinical data, AKB-9778 may provide a patient self-administered alternative that could be
helpful in the treatment of diabetic macular edema.”
“We are highly encouraged by the pilot efficacy and continued favorable safety profile for AKB
-9778 in this Phase 1b/2a study and have recently initiated a larger, confirmatory Phase 2
study,” commentedJoseph Gardner, PhD, President and CEO of Aerpio. “We are hopeful that AKB-
9778 could represent anovel, more convenient therapy for patients with DME either as monotherapy or in combination with VEGF inhibitors, the current standard of care.”
Dr. Eugene Ng serves on the clinical advisory board of Aerpio Therapeutics.,…
