INGENIA Therapeutics & Mosaic Biosciences Present Preclinical Data on the Variants of the Bispecific Antibody IGT-427 for the Treatment of Degenerative Retinal Diseases

IGT-427 is a bispecific antibody that potently blocks VEGF and activates Tie-2. Variants of IGT-427 had long intravitreal half-lives, suggesting the potential for a less frequently administered and highly efficacious treatment for diabetic macular edema and wet age-related macular degeneration. 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and BOULDER, Colo., May 02, 2022---- INGENIA Therapeutics and Mosaic Biosciences today announced the presentation of new data on pharmacokinetically-enhanced variants of IGT-427, INGENIA’s bispecific antibody that potently blocks VEGF and activates Tie-2. IGT-427, being optimized and developed for the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) and wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), was described, yesterday, at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), being held in Denver, Colorado from May 1 – 5, 2022. 

The poster, entitled: “Variants of IGT-427 are long-acting, bispecific antibodies for the treatment of degenerative retinal diseases,” was presented by Eric Furfine, Ph.D., Mosaic’s Chief Executive and Scientific Officer (CESO). The data demonstrated IGT-427’s potential for a superior efficacy profile and improved convenience over standard of care VEGF blocking agents or combination VEGF- and Ang-2-blocking agents. A copy of the presentation materials can be accessed on the Events and Presentations section of the Ingenia and Mosaic websites. 

Key highlights include:

• IGT-427 potently binds and blocks VEGF signaling and activates Tie-2 more effectively than Ang-2 blockade
• PEGylation increased IGT-427’s ocular half-life from approximately 4 days to 8 days with minimal effects on activity

“VEGF blockade is a revolutionary treatment for DME and wet AMD, on average preserving vision for many years compared to prior therapies. The combination of Ang-2 inhibition with VEGF inhibition adds another powerful tool to the treatment arsenal. Nonetheless, the frequency of intraocular administration and the substantial portion of inadequately responding patients continues to drive the need for new therapies. IGT-427’s ability to activate Tie-2 signaling more strongly and durably over Ang-2 inhibition has the potential to make variants of IGT-427 be a best-in-class therapy,” said Sangyeul Han, CEO of INGENIA. “The ocular pharmacokinetic enhancement engineered into IGT-427 by Mosaic scientists provides the potential for reduced frequency of administration compared to the standard of care and emerging therapeutics. In combination with its superior target engagement property, a long-lasting IGT-427 variant can be a more effective and durable option in multiple retinal disease markets,” added Eric Furfine, Ph.D., CESO at Mosaic.

In September 2020, INGENIA and Mosaic entered into a strategic collaboration to further optimize INGENIA’s protein therapeutics for improved drug properties, including intraocular delivery. INGENIA retains global commercial rights for all collaboration products.