Genentech’s Faricimab Performs Well in Phase 3 Clinical Trials for Wet AMD

Genentech, a global biotechnology company and member of the Roche Group, reported that faricimab, an emerging therapy for the wet form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), performed as well as aflibercept (an FDA-approved treatment), when injected every 16 weeks in two Phase 3 clinical trials. The global studies, TENAYA and LUCERNE, enrolled a total of 1,329 participants. Genentech will submit data from the trials to regulators with the goal of obtaining marketing approval for the treatment.

Faricimab holds promise for reducing the treatment burden for wet AMD. Existing FDA-approved treatments for wet AMD usually require injections on a more frequent basis — for example, every 4, 8, or 12 weeks.

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people 55 and older in developed countries. The condition affects about 10 million people in the US and 150 million people around the world.

Affecting about one million people in the US, the wet form of AMD causes the growth of leaky blood vessels that lead to degeneration of retinal cells and central vision loss.

Unlike other current wet AMD therapies, faricimab targets two distinct disease pathways, VEGF-A, the target of current wet AMD therapies, and angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2), a second target. Both are proteins in the retina that promote the growth of the unhealthy blood vessels.