Potentia Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase I Clinical Trials to Evaluate its Lead Compound for Age-Related Macular Degeneration
POT-4 is the first complement inhibitor for age-related macular degeneration to enter clinical phase of development
Potentia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it is entering the clinical phase of development for POT-4, its lead drug candidate for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). POT-4 is a complement inhibitor, which shuts down the complement activation system that could lead to local inflammation, tissue damage and upregulation of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
Four landmark studies published in April 2005 demonstrated a genetic link between the complement system and AMD, providing evidence that complement activation plays a significant role in the cause of the disease. Less than two years after the publication of the studies, POT-4 will be the first complement inhibitor tested in patients with AMD, according to the company.
POT-4 is a synthetic peptide discovered by Professor John Lambris at the University of Pennsylvania. It binds tightly to complement component C3, preventing its participation in the complement activation cascade. As C3 is the central component of all major complement activation pathways, its inhibition effectively shuts down all downstream complement activation that could otherwise lead to local inflammation, tissue damage and upregulation of angiogenic factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor.
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