Important Advances in Oxurion's R&D Program on Geographic Atrophy secondary to AMD
Oxurion NV, an innovative biopharmaceutical company based in Leuven, today announces important progress in its preclinical program targeting Geographic Atrophy (GA), a severe and underserved form of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
This recently launched program has reached the first step with the identification of 50 targets that have the potential to provide better treatment options for GA. These targets are derived from a cutting-edge CRISPR-based target discovery platform, which consists in a genome-wide screening in a phenotypic cellular assay reflective of GA disease.
The preclinical team successfully already confirmed the potential of several of these targets across various relevant in vitro models. Next step is to continue the in vitro validation of the remaining identified targets and start their evaluation in GA animal models.
Looking ahead, Oxurion anticipates finalizing the selection of the top three targets in the fourth quarter of this year and to initiate the lead generation process, aiming to file intellectual property (IP) early 2025.
Pascal Ghoson, CEO of Oxurion, shares his enthusiasm: "By moving beyond traditional approaches focused on the complement pathway alone, our platform has opened new avenues for understanding and treating AMD/GA. The progress we have made paves the way for new therapies in a market estimated to be worth $3-6 billion by 2028. These advances strengthen our position to transform the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases."