New diabetic retinopathy drug a step closer

By Editor
8th September 2014
Charity, Diabetic retinopathy Latest news Research

A new treatment for diabetic retinopathy has started being tested in people for the first time.

The trials of experimental drug KVD001 began this month, focussing on assessing the safety and tolerability of the drug in treating diabetic macular oedema, a particular type of retinopathy.

The trials are being conducted at the internationally acclaimed Beetham Eye Institute, which is part of the Joslin Diabetes Centre at Harvard Medical School in Boston, with recruitment due to be gradually rolled out through five centres in the US.

Manufacturer KalVista, based in Hampshire, has been working with JDRF on the drug for a number of years, with the charity supporting the academic research that identified the biological pathway it is designed to target.

Rachel Connor, Head of Research Communication at JDRF in the UK said: “As complications of living with Type 1 go, vision loss is one of the most feared. JDRF’s research strategy prioritises work to understand diabetic retinopathy and devise new ways to treat and prevent it for exactly this reason.

As complications of living with Type 1 go, vision loss is one of the most feared

“So, we’re excited to see KVD001, a drug that we have helped Kalvista to develop, make it to the first phase of clinical testing. There is of course still a long way to go, but if this treatment works it will provide a new option for people who develop diabetic macular oedema.”

The only drug currently licensed specifically for treating diabetic macular oedema is ranizumab (brand name Lucentis). It is designed to target a molecule called vascular endothelial growth factor and so prevent the disordered growth of blood vessels that contributes to vision loss. While treatment with Lucentis has been able to help many people with diabetic macular oedema, it does not work for everyone.

KVD001 is a type of molecule called a plasma kallikrein inhibitor, and targets a different biological pathway to Lucentis – so the new drug may be able to help those for whom Lucentis does not work.

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