Opthea’s lead biologic drug candidate, OPT-302, has been renamed ‘sozinibercept’. The nonproprietary drug name was approved by the American Medical Association’s United States Adopted Names (USAN) Council, in consultation with the World Health Organization’s International Nonproprietary Names (INN) Expert Committee.
Sozinibercept is a recombinant ‘trap’ fusion protein that targets inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factors C and D (VEGF-C and VEGF-C), two ligand mediators of angiogenesis and vascular leakage involved in retinal vascular diseases.
Administered by intravitreal injection in combination with standard of care anti-VEGF-A therapy, it is currently being evaluated in two Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), for which it holds fast track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Sozinibercept is proprietary to Opthea with issued patents running to at least 2034 and currently pending patents that are expected to extend coverage.
Opthea will use the name sozinibercept as it continues to advance the clinical development toward commercialisation of the product in nAMD and other indications.
