At Press Time

Eye Care Attracts Big Pharma

Merck, Wyeth See Major Potential in Ophthalmics.

■ A decade ago, a few companies dominated in the development and marketing of ophthalmic drugs. The roster of ophthalmic pharmaceutical companies was led by three specialty firms, Alcon, Allergan and Bausch & Lomb, with the more broadly based Merck, Pharmacia and Novartis having an important, but more limited presence, in the ophthalmic realm.

Now, with the aging of the baby-boomer generation promising a significantly larger market for ophthalmic drugs in the decades ahead, so-called "Big Pharma" has recently been expanding its investment in eyecare research in a big way.

The industry has noted the stunning success of Lucentis, Genentech’s injectable drug for wet AMD, which has been proven to be the first AMD treatment to actually improve vision. Lucentis recorded U.S. sales approaching $400 million in the first 6 months following FDA approval. Those kinds of numbers impress even the giant pharmaceutical companies.

Recently, Merck paid approximately $1.1 billion in cash to acquire Sirna Therapeutics, which has been developing a treatment for wet AMD based on the concept of small interfering ribonucleic acid, the acronym for which is "sirna." This drug has already completed a successful phase 1 trial. Through the Sirna acquisition, Merck has greatly expanded its potential presence in ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, which had previously been limited to the glaucoma medications TruSopt and CoSopt, and Lacrisert inserts for severe dry eye. Another large pharmaceutical company, Wyeth, is now pursuing new treatments for retinal diseases such as AMD and diabetic retinopathy through a recently announced partnership with drug-developer Pharmacopeia, which is based in Princeton, N.J. Pharmacopeia has a small-molecule antiangiogenic for retinal indications currently in preclinical studies.

In addition, Eli Lilly & Company has completed a phase 3 clinical trial for Arxxant, an oral medication for diabetic retinopathy. Lilly is currently in discussions with the FDA regarding the future of Arxxant. The FDA has requested an additional clinical study, while Lilly is appealing that decision.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, which acquired Pharmacia in 2002, participates in the ophthalmic area primarily through Xalatan, a leading glaucoma medication, and as a partner in Macugen, a treatment for wet AMD whose sales have been declining sharply since the approval of Lucentis. Novartis has a solid position in ophthalmic drugs by owning the international marketing rights to Lucentis and as a partner with QLT Inc. in Visudyne photodynamic therapy for wet AMD.

In sum, it is difficult to name a large pharmaceutical company that is not now at least studying the potential of the ophthalmic marketplace. The amount of research money being devoted to eye care bodes well for the discovery of more effective therapies in the near future.