Voclosporin, a calcineurin inhibitor, is proposed for the treatment of non-infectious uveitis, involving the posterior segment of the eye. Its the leading cause of vision loss and long-term disability and the fourth leading cause of legal blindness in the industrialized world.
Robert Foster, president and CEO of Isotechnika Pharma, said: “Following years of hard work at Isotechnika and Lux Biosciences, voclosporin is one step closer to approval in the US and Europe. I am very proud that a drug discovered in our Edmonton laboratories, almost 13 years ago, is getting closer to becoming an important new treatment for uveitis patients.
“The expected next step in the approval process is to receive notification of acceptance of the dossier from the FDA and the EMA which typically occurs within sixty days. If granted priority review by the FDA, their objective is to complete the entire review within six months. The review process with the EMA is typically completed in twelve months. If the submissions are approved in the US and Europe, we will receive milestone payments of $7.04m and $3.52m, respectively, from Lux. Isotechnika Pharma will also receive royalty payments on sales of voclosporin for uveitis.”
Ulrich Grau, president and CEO of Lux Biosciences, said: “The results seen in the Luminate clinical trial program, the largest completed to date in non-infectious uveitis, support our belief that voclosporin has the potential to significantly advance the treatment of this blinding disease.
“This is the first regulatory filing of voclosporin in any indication, in any country, which made this submission a complex task. It incorporates the research and development undertaken by Isotechnika over more than a decade, and that of Lux Biosciences over the last 3 1/2 years.”