Ophthalmologic diseases, including diabetic macular edema, age-related neurologic conditions, and age-related macular degeneration, are prevalent today. These and other similar ones cause considerable economic, personal, and societal burdens for victims and their extended families. That said, UNITY Biotechnology, Inc. [NASDAQ: UBX] has embraced the responsibility of developing therapeutics to slow, halt, or reverse diseases of aging. Today, the biotech has reported positive data from a Phase 1 safety study of UBX1325 in patients with advanced disease from DME.
The evaluation of the first senolytic therapeutic done in an ophthalmological clinical study demonstrated tolerance with no dose-limiting toxicities or treatment-related adverse events. In addition, a single injection of UBX1325 demonstrated rapid improvements in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), one of the critical measures of disease progression.
“We are very excited by the initial efficacy we see with UBX1325, including improvements in vision and structure in advanced patients…” the CEO of UNITY, Anirvan Ghosh, announced, adding that UBX1325 would help a wide range of patients suffering from DME.
UBX1325 is a Valuable Alternative Treatment Option for Anti-VEGF Therapies
Anti-VEGF therapies are the current standard of care for vascular diseases of the retina. They reportedly target both sick and healthy parts of the eye. In the long term, this can impair the normal remodeling of healthy vessels. Additionally, anti-VEGF agents are likely to block all blood vessel growth.
Nonetheless, the said therapies may no longer feature in the market. With the promising status from the investigation of UBX1325’s potential, it is likely to become a disease-modifying treatment option. Ghosh is also optimistic that several essential data readouts in the coming year will help improve the optimum treatment schedule for UBX1325.
The CEO took up this position in the months leading up to the pandemic. Months into it, he was expected to lead Unity through an overhaul after the company dropped its lead program for knee pain. The axing of the program cost the company a 30% reduction of its workforce.