Aerie Pharmaceuticals (NSDQ:AERI) said today that it inked a collaborative R&D and licensing agreement with DSM to develop an implantable drug-delivery system for patients with glaucoma and other retinal diseases.
DSM has reportedly developed an injectable drug-delivery fiber using polyesteramide polymers that has proven successful in preclinical work with Aerie’s compounds.
A product candidate developed by the Irvine, Calif.-based company, AR-13154, successfully decreased lesion size in a preclinical model of wet age-related macular degeneration at levels comparable to market-leading products, according to Aerie.
The company also reported that the therapy reduced neovascularization in a preclinical model of proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
“A key to unlocking the potential of AR-13154 and related Aerie-owned compounds for the treatment of retinal diseases is the identification of the appropriate technology to achieve longer-term sustained delivery of our small molecules to the back of the eye,” chairman & CEO Vicente Anido said in prepared remarks. “We are hopeful that DSM’s PEA technology may prove to be that technology.”
