Roche’s faricimab meets primary endpoint in two global phase III studies and shows potential to extend time between treatments up to 16 weeks for people with neovascular age-related macular degeneration - Seite 3

About neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a condition that affects the part of the eye that provides sharp, central vision needed for activities like reading.¹ Neovascular or “wet” AMD (nAMD) is an advanced form of the disease that can cause rapid and severe vision loss.^12,13 It develops when new and abnormal blood vessels grow uncontrolled under the macula, causing swelling, bleeding and/or fibrosis.¹³ Worldwide, around 20 million people are living with nAMD – the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 60 – and the condition will affect even more people around the world as the global population ages.^1,2,3

About faricimab
Faricimab is the first investigational bispecific antibody designed for the eye.⁸ It targets two distinct pathways – via angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) – that drive a number of retinal conditions. ⁸ Ang-2 and VEGF-A contribute to vision loss by destabilising blood vessels, causing new leaky blood vessels to form and increasing inflammation.⁴ By simultaneously blocking both pathways involving Ang-2 and VEGF-A, faricimab is designed to stabilise blood vessels, potentially improving vision outcomes for longer for people living with retinal conditions.⁴

About Roche in Ophthalmology
Roche is focused on saving people’s eyesight from the leading causes of vision loss through pioneering therapies. Through our innovation in the scientific discovery of new potential drug targets, personalised healthcare, molecular engineering, biomarkers and continuous drug delivery, we strive to design the right therapies for the right patients.

We have the broadest retina pipeline in Ophthalmology, covering early and late stage products, which is led by science and informed by insights from people with eye diseases. Our late stage pipeline includes two potential first-of-a-kind treatments, Port Delivery System with ranibizumab (PDS) and faricimab, which are being evaluated in a number of retinal conditions including neovascular age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. PDS is a permanent refillable eye implant that continuously delivers a customised formulation of ranibizumab over a period of months, potentially reducing the treatment burden associated with frequent eye injections.¹⁴ Faricimab is the first investigational bispecific antibody designed for the eye.⁸ It targets two distinct pathways – via angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) – that drive a number of retinal conditions, to stabilise blood vessels, potentially improving vision outcomes for longer.^4,8 Our early stage pipeline includes gene therapies and treatments for geographic atrophy and other vision-threatening diseases, including rare and inherited conditions.