The article investigates the potential role of antisense drugs in the treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), a form of Diabetes-related blindness. DR affects over 5 million people in the United States alone. iCo-007 is under investigation in a Phase I clinical trial in patients with a subset of DR called Diabetic Macular Edema (DME).
iCo-007 is a second-generation antisense drug discovered by Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ISIS) and licensed to iCo. Potential benefits of second-generation antisense drugs, like iCo-007, are expected to include an extended half-life, resulting in less frequent intravitreal drug administration, and a good safety profile. iCo-007 targets multiple growth factors in addition to VEGF. Multiple growth factors seem to play a critical role in the process of ocular angiogenesis and leakage.
Reference
iCo's Chief Medical Officer, Chief Business Officer and Clinical Project Manager all participated as authors of the paper, titled "Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy in Diabetic Retinopathy". The article was published online on July 1st, 2009 and is available on the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology's website at http://www.journalofdst.org/.