pSivida Corp., a leader in the development of sustained release products for treating eye diseases, today announced that pSivida has been selected for the Ophthalmic Companies Showcase at The Ophthalmology Innovation Summit (OIS), April 24, 2014 at the Seaport Hotel in Boston, MA.
pSivida’s president and chief executive officer, Dr. Paul Ashton, will discuss sustained delivery of antibodies and other large biologics with pSivida’s Tethadur™ technology.
The OIS Summit, which held its first meeting 2009, serves as a forum to unite the leading clinicians, entrepreneurs, investors and industry executives to drive ophthalmic innovation (www.ophthalmologysummit.com).
“The introduction of antibody-based proteins targeting VEGF has transformed the treatment of age related macular degeneration and diabetic eye disease, the two biggest causes of vision loss in developed countries. These drugs, although effective, unfortunately must be injected directly into the eye every one to two months. This is a tremendous burden to patients,” said Dr. Ashton. “Our Tethadur delivery system has the potential to provide sustained delivery of these drugs to significantly reduce the frequency of injections and improve efficacy.”
pSivida’s BioSilicon technology system utilizes a fully-erodible, honeycomb structure of nano-porous silicon to provide sustained delivery of therapeutics. Tethadur™, an application of BioSilicon technology, is designed to provide sustained delivery of large biologic molecules, including peptides, proteins and antibodies. Tethadur uses BioSilicon, a powdery, fully bioerodible, nanostructured, porous silicon, designed to provide sustained delivery of therapeutics. The pores in the BioSilicon are manufactured to accommodate specific biologic molecules. A suspension of BioSilicon and a biologic drug in solution is injected – either in the eye in ophthalmic indications or subcutaneously for other systemic indications. The erosion of the BioSilicon is designed to release the biologic molecules on a sustained basis.
About pSivida Corp.
pSivida Corp., headquartered in Watertown, MA, develops tiny, sustained release, drug delivery products designed to deliver drugs at a controlled and steady rate for months or years. pSivida is currently focused on treatment of chronic diseases of the back of the eye utilizing its core technology systems, Durasert™ and BioSilicon™. The injectable, sustained release micro-insert ILUVIEN® for the treatment of chronic DME considered insufficiently responsive to available therapies, licensed to Alimera Sciences, Inc., is marketed in the U.K. and Germany and has also received marketing authorization in Austria, France, Portugal, and Spain and is awaiting authorization in Italy. Alimera has filed for ten additional EU country approvals through the Mutual Recognition Procedure. Alimera is seeking FDA approval for ILUVIEN for DME in the US. pSivida has instituted the first of two planned pivotal Phase III clinical trials of Medidur™ for the treatment of posterior uveitis, a chronic back-of-the-eye disease, which uses the same micro-insert as ILUVIEN. An investigator-sponsored clinical trial is ongoing for an injectable, bioerodible micro-insert to treat glaucoma and ocular hypertension, a product candidate on which Pfizer Inc. has an option. pSivida's FDA-approved Retisert®, licensed to Bausch & Lomb Incorporated, provides long-term, sustained drug delivery to treat posterior uveitis.