Changing the game in AMD

Genentech Inc. revolutionized the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration with Lucentis ranibizumab, which was approved in 2006. But its high cost and limited efficacy make it vulnerable on both fronts. While most biotechs in the space are focused on me-better VEGF treatments, NeoVista Inc. thinks its Epi-Rad90 device could trump the drug developers.

Epi-Rad90 anti-neovascular therapy system is a device that surgically delivers a targeted dose of intraocular strontium 90 brachytherapy to the AMD lesion. The device, which has CE Mark approval in Europe, where it is called Vidion, is in the pivotal three-year, 450-patient, international CABERNET trial. Patients in the study will receive either a single treatment with Epi-Rad90 plus two monthly injections of Lucentis, or Lucentis monthly for three months followed by quarterly injections of the drug...