Ocugen Presents New Preclinical OCU200 Data at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2021 Annual Meeting

• OCU200, a transferrin-tumstatin fusion protein, demonstrates potential to treat DME, DR, and Wet-AMD
  
  
• OCU200 reduced neovascularization and damage to retina and demonstrated comparable/slightly improved activity to aflibercept in an animal disease model
  

MALVERN, Pa., May 06, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ocugen, Inc. (NASDAQ: OCGN), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing, and commercializing gene therapies to cure blindness diseases and developing a vaccine to save lives from COVID-19, today announced the presentation of a pre-clinical study to evaluate efficacy of OCU200 in in-vitro and in-vivo models for ocular neovascular diseases. The data will be featured in a virtual poster presentation entitled “OCU200 (transferrin-tumstatin fusion protein): A potential therapeutic for DME, DR, and wet-AMD” at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2021 Annual Meeting, taking place May 1-7, 2021.

OCU200 is a biologic product candidate in preclinical development for treating severely sight-threatening diseases like Diabetic Macular Edema (DME), Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), and Wet Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Wet-AMD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate efficacy of OCU200 in in-vitro and in-vivo models for ocular neovascular diseases. Angiogenesis and neovascularization are hallmarks for DME, DR, and wet-AMD. Most approved therapeutics target vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a pro-angiogenic factor with neurotrophic and neuroprotective effects. However, approximately 50% of Patients do not respond to anti-VEGF/Corticosteroids therapies.

OCU200 inhibited cell proliferation, cell invasion and tube formation by endothelial cells. In an oxygen induced retinopathy (OIR) mice model, OCU200 significantly reduced avascular areas at low dose (68% reduction, P < 0.05) and high dose (68% reduction, P < 0.05), and significantly reduced neovascular tufts (NVs) at low dose (59% reduction, P < 0.05) and high dose (58% reduction, P < 0.05) compared to vehicle-treated eyes. Aflibercept reduced NVs by 77% (P < 0.01). OCU200 (10 ug) showed comparable activity to aflibercept (20 ug). These findings suggest that OCU200 represents a potential therapeutic for the treatment of DME, DR, and wet-AMD.