Acucela Inc. (TOKYO:4589), a clinical-stage biotechnology company that specializes in discovering and developing novel therapeutics to treat and slow the progression of sight-threatening ophthalmic diseases, today announced that it has completed enrollment in its ongoing Phase 2b/3 clinical trial investigating emixustat in subjects with geographic atrophy (GA) associated with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The Safety and Efficacy Assessment Treatment Trials of Emixustat hydrochloride (SEATTLE) study is a multicenter, randomized, double-masked, dose-ranging trial initiated in early 2013 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01802866). 508 patients with GA associated with dry AMD were enrolled in the clinical trial. Emixustat is being studied to determine whether it slows the rate of progression of GA lesions in these patients.
"Completing enrollment in this trial ahead of schedule represents a tremendous achievement for the program," stated Ryo Kubota, MD, PhD, Chairman, President and CEO, Acucela Inc.
Emixustat, the first internally developed compound by Acucela, is orally dosed, targets the visual cycle, and is in development for the treatment of GA associated with dry AMD. There is currently no therapy approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat dry AMD.
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