Regeneron launches VEGF Trap-Eye trial & gains $20 million

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has received a $20 million milestone payment from Bayer HealthCare following dosing of the first patient in a Phase III study of the VEGF Trap-Eye for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The Phase III study (VIEW 1: VEGF Trap Investigation of Efficacy and safety in Wet age-related macular degeneration) will be a non-inferiority comparison of the VEGF Trap-Eye and ranibizumab (Lucentis; Novartis). The randomized, double-masked study is expected to enrol approximately 1,200 subjects at more than 200 centres across the USA and Canada.

The VEGF Trap-Eye is a fully human, soluble VEGF receptor fusion protein that binds all forms of VEGF-A along with the related placental growth factor (PlGF).