Industry News
Bausch Health To Acquire Option To Purchase All Ophthalmology Assets Of Allegro Ophthalmics
Bausch Health Companies Inc. and Bausch + Lomb, its global eye health business, and Allegro Ophthalmics, LLC, a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies that regulate integrin functions for the treatment of ocular diseases, announced that Bausch Health (through its affiliate) has entered into an agreement to acquire an option to purchase all ophthalmology assets of Allegro (the "Option"), including global rights for risuteganib (Luminate®), Allegro's lead investigational compound in retina, which is believed to simultaneously act on the angiogenic, inflammatory and mitochondrial metabolic pathways implicated in diseases such as intermediate dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
It is estimated that globally the prevalence of AMD is expected to reach 196 million people worldwide this year and to increase to 288 million by 2040. Approximately 90 percent of people diagnosed with AMD have dry AMD, for which there are currently no treatments.
"As part of the ongoing transformation of Bausch Health, we continue to seek strategic opportunities to build-up our pipeline in core businesses, including Bausch + Lomb, our global eye health business. The addition of the ophthalmic assets of Allegro would significantly enhance our comprehensive portfolio of products for AMD," said Joseph C. Papa, chairman and CEO of Bausch Health. "If approved, risuteganib may be the first treatment indicated to help reverse vision loss due to dry AMD and would address a significant unmet medical need affecting millions of people globally."
"Allegro is excited to partner with Bausch Health, an established global player in ophthalmology that values the potential of risuteganib and our integrin-regulating platform as much as we do," said Vicken Karageozian, M.D., president and CEO, Allegro. "As we prepare for our Phase 3 clinical program, we look forward to working closely with Bausch Health on the united goal of one day being able to offer a treatment option to the millions of people who are currently losing their vision to dry AMD."
Risuteganib is an investigational integrin-regulating therapy that is believed to reduce mitochondrial dysfunction involved in intermediate dry AMD. By targeting multiple pathways, risuteganib may help reduce the cellular burden of oxidative stress and restore retinal homeostasis. Two concurrent Phase 3 studies evaluating the use of intravitreal risuteganib to treat intermediate dry AMD are expected to begin within the next 12 months.
