OC-10X

The present study is intended to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical OC-10X Ophthalmic Suspension in patients diagnosed with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (level 61, 65, 71, or 75). OcuCure Therapeutics, Inc. (Roanoke, VA) has developed a lead compound, known as OC-10X, which is a selective tubulin inhibitor under development for the treatment of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy (PDR) and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). When administered as a topical eye drop, OC-10X has both anti-angiogenic (inhibition) and angiolytic (regression) properties in animal models of choroidal neovascularization (CNV). Unlike other therapies, OC-10X provides the efficacy of a vascular targeting agent without the traditional toxicity and works downstream independently of growth factors. As demonstrated by OcuCure's preclinical data, tubulin inhibition, using OC-10X, may be a promising new approach to the treatment of PDR and AMD. Like AMD, PDR is a major cause of blindness in adults and is also caused by the growth of abnormal blood vessels. Importantly, the Phase I Study found that OC-10X can be safely applied topically in human eyes without adverse ocular or systemic effects.
Currently, there are few options for the treatment of PDR. Clinical options, such as laser photocoagulation or vitrectomy, require surgery and can permanently impair patients' vision. With few treatment options available, administration of OC-10X as a topical therapy, along with its novel mechanism, has the potential to provide benefits to patients with ocular diseases associated with angiogenesis.