Microplasmin exhibits potential to cure 50% of patients with macular hole

ThromboGenics NV (Euronext Brussels: THR), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for eye disease, announces that further data from the first successful Phase III trial with microplasmin (TG-MV-006) for the non-surgical treatment of vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) were presented at the World Ophthalmology Congress by Dr. Matthew Benz, MD (The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, U.S.) The trial recruited 326 patients at 42 centers in the U.S. The second Phase III trial in the microplasmin MIVI-TRUST program (TG-MV-007) is due to report in the third quarter of 2010.

In his presentation, Dr. Benz highlighted that the TG-MV-006 study had met its primary endpoint with 27.7% of the 220 microplasmin treated patients achieving resolution of their VMA at 1 month, compared to 13.2% of the 106 patients who received a placebo injection, a highly statistically significant results inclusion criteria, that showed that 30.7% achieved resolution of their VMA.

The trial evaluated the visual acuity (VA) of patients. This analysis showed that at the end of the study 25.5% of the microplasmin treated patients had achieved at least a 10 letter improvement in VA without the need for vitrectomy. This compares to only 11.3% of the patients who received a placebo injection (p<0.005).

The TG-MV-006 study also confirmed that microplasmin was generally safe and well tolerated with no increase in the rate of retinal tear or detachment in comparison to placebo.

A key finding from the TG-MV-006 study that was presented in Berlin related to patients who had been diagnosed with full thickness macular hole (FTMH), a severe condition which can lead to irreversible vision impairment, including central blindness, if not treated by eye surgery (vitrectomy). In this group, 45.6% of the 52 patients were cured by a single 125 micro g injection of microplasmin without the need for a vitrectomy in the 6 months post treatment. This compares with 15.6% of the 32 patients in the placebo group.

The closure of FTMH also resulted in these patients experiencing a significant improvement in their VA compared to baseline. These results show that microplasmin could represent a major breakthrough, as it has the potential to cure approximately 50% of patients with FTMH without the need for major eye surgery.

Dr. Patrik De Haes, CEO of ThromboGenics, commented, "The more detailed results from the TG-MV-006 study that we have announced today clearly show that microplasmin has the potential to make a significant impact on the treatment of retinal disorders linked to adhesion. In addition, I am particularly excited that we have shown that microplasmin has the ability to cure approximately 50% of patients with macular hole, a very severe condition which can lead to central blindness. Given these results, I am confident that microplasmin could provide both patients and retinal specialists with an alternative to surgery. We are looking forward to announcing the results from our second Phase III study with microplasmin, which is due to report in the third quarter of 2010."

Dr. Matthew Benz, commenting on his presentation today, said, "I am sure that the results of this important study, which is part of the largest interventional clinical program ever performed to specifically evaluate the vitreoretinal interface, will create great excitement in the retinal community. The ability to cure a significant proportion of patients with a range of retinal disorders, including macular hole, with a simple injection of microplasmin is clearly an attractive alternative to the current option of surgery."