Acucela Doses First Subject in Phase I Trial for Age-Related Macular Degeneration.Orally-Available Small Molecule for Dry Form of AMD (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, www.amd.com) A major manufacturer of semiconductor devices including x86-compatible CPUs, embedded processors, flash memories, programmable logic devices and networking chips. BOTHELL, Wash. -- Acucela Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing therapies for blinding eye diseases, announced today that it has dosed the first subject in a Phase I trial for its lead compound ACU-02. The single-site trial is enrolling healthy normal volunteers in a double-masked, placebo-controlled, single ascending-dose study to evaluate the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of ACU-02. ACU-02 is a novel, orally available small molecule being developed for the treatment of the dry form of age-related macular degeneration Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) Degeneration of the macula (the central part of the retina where the rods and cones are most dense) that leads to loss of central vision in people over 60. (AMD). ACU-02 is a potent modulator Modulator Any device or circuit by means of which a desired signal is impressed upon a higher-frequency periodic wave known as a carrier. The process is called modulation. The modulator may vary the amplitude, frequency, or phase of the carrier. of the visual cycle that acts by interrupting the pathophysiology pathophysiology /patho·phys·i·ol·o·gy/ (-fiz?e-ol´ah-je) the physiology of disordered function. path·o·phys·i·ol·o·gy n. 1. of AMD by significantly reducing the accumulation of the retinal related toxic by-product A2E A2E Access to Excellence which is believed to damage retinal cells, thus leading to the decrease or loss of vision in AMD patients. "We believe that ACU-02 provides significant promise for the millions of patients suffering from AMD, and we hope to be able to someday provide these patients with a treatment that is delivered in the form of a pill rather than an injection into the eye," said Ryo Kubota, M.D., Ph.D., Acucela's chief executive officer. "AMD is the leading cause of vision loss for people over the age of 50, and dry AMD accounts for approximately 90 percent of all cases. More than 29 million people are currently afflicted af·flict tr.v. af·flict·ed, af·flict·ing, af·flicts To inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on. [Middle English afflighten, from afflight, with AMD worldwide, and with the increase in the aging population, that number is expected to double in the next 20 years, so a safe and effective therapy for this disease is greatly needed. There are currently no approved therapies for dry AMD." About Acucela Acucela Inc. is focused on developing new drug therapies for eye diseases, and particularly neurodegenerative retinal diseases such as macular degeneration macular degeneration, eye disorder causing loss of central vision. The affected area, the macula, lies at the back of the retina and is the part that produces the sharpest vision. . The company has proprietary disease-specific assays and technologies to identify and develop compounds that may safely and effectively treat retinal diseases. The company's novel approaches have significant therapeutic potential to treat retinal diseases such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Stargardt disease. The Bothell-based, privately held biotechnology company was founded in 2002. For more information, please visit http://www.acucela.com. |
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