Eli Lilly’s Adverum move: The future of ocular gene therapy at the 4th Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Summit

The race to develop safer, longer lasting, and less invasive treatments is accelerating, and at the heart of that challenge lies drug delivery.

Eli Lilly’s move to acquire Adverum Biotechnologies signals industry confidence in long-acting intravitreal gene therapy as a path to durable vision correction and improved adherence.

Adverum's lead program, Ixo-vec, is a Phase 3 gene therapy designed to treat vision loss associated with wet age-related macular degeneration with a single intravitreal dose 

This acquisition aligns Lilly's genetic medicine capabilities with opportunity to expand gene therapy's potential to alleviate the burden of age-related diseases 

Adverum is developing a pipeline of intravitreal single-administration gene therapies with the aspiration of developing functional cures to restore vision and prevent blindness. Its lead product candidate, Ixo-vec, is an intravitreal gene therapy being developed for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD). This serious, chronic and progressive retinal disease affects millions of people worldwide. Ixo-vec is designed as a single one-time treatment to deliver continuous and stable intraocular aflibercept levels, thereby reducing the significant patient burden associated with current chronic anti-VEGF therapies, while also potentially leading to improved vision outcomes.

Ixo-vec is being evaluated in the ARTEMIS Phase 3 clinical trial, which has completed screening. The program has been granted Fast Track and Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designations by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as well as PRIME designation by the European Medicines Agency and the Innovation Passport from the United Kingdom's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for the treatment of wAMD.

In just the last few months, the ophthalmic industry has seen much movement. Such as the above Adverum being acquired for its intravitreal gene therapy, Boehringer investing $1 B in Re-Vana’s ocular delivery technology, and 4DMT landing a $420 M deal to advance its anti-VEGF sustained delivery program.

All these names and more will be gathering at the 4th Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Summit.

The 4th Ophthalmic Drug Delivery Summit is your chance to meet 80+ leading ocular experts including Re-Vana, J&J, Genentech, Merck, BI, 4DMT, Abbvie and more to tackle the toughest delivery hurdles limiting the impact of cutting-edge therapeutics.

With industry momentum building around sustained-release technologies, suprachoroidal administration, and innovative device-drug combinations, this summit is your gateway to the breakthroughs redefining ocular treatment. From translating long-acting formulations into clinical success to navigating regulatory complexities early, this is the only event dedicated to transforming how and where ophthalmic therapies work - making it a must-attend for anyone shaping the future of eye care.

Take a look at the full event brochure to see the full list of speakers and explore how the innovators behind these recent breakthroughs will shape the industry-focused discussions to be had this January.

Register online today to join the conversation.

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