Under the agreement, Genentech is responsible for clinical development and commercialization and will partner with ForSight Vision4 in the manufacturing and engineering of the device.
The device is a refillable drug port delivery system (PDS) designed to release Lucentis over a period of months for treating certain eye diseases.
Lucentis is an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that is crucial in the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and the hyperpermeability (leakiness) of the vessels.
The first undisclosed milestone payment is based on Genentech’s decision to submit an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for clinical testing of the device in conjugation with Lucentis.
Genentech Global Product Development chief medical officer and head Hal Barron said this development reflects the company’s commitment to ophthalmology and investigating new technologies that may potentially provide sustained delivery of Lucentis and reduce the frequency of injections.
"The license agreement with ForSight Vision4 represents part of our ongoing strategy to support the retinal community by innovating and discovering new ways to help people with sight-threatening illnesses," Barron added.
Currently, Lucentis is FDA-approved to treat neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
