Lin Bioscience and Columbia Technology Ventures announced today that Lin Bioscience has licensed the intellectual property portfolio and development program for a promising first-in-class medication intended to slow or halt the progression of atrophic "Dry" Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
Under the terms of this globally exclusive licensing agreement and collaboration model, the National Institute of Health's Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network, which has funded the medication's discovery and development, will continue to provide financial support through Phase 1, and will continue to collaborate with Columbia University and Lin Bioscience.
AMD is a common degenerative eye condition that can severely impair visual function and eventually, many patients lose the ability to read, handle day-to-day tasks, or even recognize the faces of their loved ones. AMD is the leading cause of blindness in people over the age of 50 and currently, there is no FDA-approved treatment for atrophic “dry” AMD, which accounts for 90 percent of all people with AMD.
LBS-008 is an oral therapeutic candidate that works by reducing retinol in circulation and excess retinal uptake, leading to the formation of toxic byproducts that build up under the retina that causes dry AMD, and similarly in Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, the juvenile onset form of macular degeneration, which is an inherited retinal disease that leads to severe early vision loss in children. LBS-008 is expected to enter Phase 1 clinical trials in 2017 for dry AMD, as well as for Stargardt Disease as an orphan indication.
“Both dry AMD and Stargardt Disease are diseases of real unmet medical need. Globally, dry AMD is a major health concern that severely affects and disabling millions of middle aged to elderly people every day. Up until now, there are no proven treatments, but we are confident that LBS-008, given its potential, may offer some light to the treatment of both diseases,” said Dr. Tom Lin, CEO of Lin Bioscience.
About Lin Bioscience
Lin Bioscience Inc. is a new drug development company that specializes in the development of innovative drug treatments for diseases with unmet medical needs. Lin Bioscience’s diverse and novel pipeline consist of first-in-class drugs aimed to treat life-threatening or disabling diseases in Oncology, Ophthalmology, and Cardiovascular indications.