08:16 AM EST, 11/18/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Adverum Biotechnologies ( ADVM ) said Monday that the 52-week results from its LUNA phase 2 trial and four-year data from the OPTIC trial for Ixo-vec showed reductions in treatment burden for wet age-related macular degeneration patients.

In the LUNA trial, patients receiving the Ixo-vec, or 6E10 dose, demonstrated an 88% reduction in anti-VEGF injections, with 54% of patients being injection-free. These results were supported by four-year OPTIC data, which showed an 86% reduction in annualized anti-VEGF injections.

Adverum also said Ixo-vec was well tolerated across both trials, with inflammation effectively managed using local steroids, and no serious adverse events related to the therapy.

Meanwhile, the company said it has selected the 6E10 dose with topical-eyedrops prophylaxis for its ARTEMIS phase 3 trial, which is expected to begin in H1 2025.

The primary endpoint for the trial will assess non-inferiority in best-corrected visual acuity change between Ixo-vec and aflibercept. All patients enrolled in the phase 3 study will receive three monthly loading doses of aflibercept before transitioning to Ixo-vec.

Adverum said it has an updated cash runway of $153.2 million as of Sept. 30, which is expected to fund operations through the H2 2025.

Shares of the company rose more than 13% in recent premarket activity.

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