Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Acucela deal

Otsuka terminated deals with Acucela to co-develop and co-commercialize Acucela’s emixustat ( ACU-4429) and Otsuka’s OPA-6566. The emixustat deal was signed in 2008 and granted Otsuka co-development rights in North America and exclusive rights in Asia.

Otsuka said it terminated the deal after reviewing trial data released last month in which emixustat missed the primary and secondary endpoints in the Phase IIb/III S.E.A.T.T.L.E. trial in geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Emixustat is a non-retinoid visual cycle isomerase inhibitor that targets retinal pigment epithelium-specific 65 kDa protein (RPE65). ...