In the world of wet age-related macular degeneration, long-acting projects are the new must-have. And Ocular Therapeutix just took a step forward with OTX-TKI, an implant designed to last at least six months.

Topline data released today from a phase 1 study, albeit in only 21 patients, look promising; however, Ocular’s stock, after rising more than 20% premarket, opened down 6%. Current market sentiment might not have helped, although on a conference call today detailed results were lacking, and execs said the group had yet to tinker with the formulation of OTX-TKI in a phase 2 trial due to start next year.

Upon its January approval by the FDA, Roche’s Vabysmo registered an impressive trio of firsts.

It is the first injectable drug in the United States approved simultaneously to treat both wet-age macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME). It’s the first bispecific antibody for the eye. And—most importantly—it is the first injectable that can work for up to four months.

So much can happen on a daily and weekly basis in the biopharma sphere, and it’s easy to forget what the big stories were a few weeks ago, let alone last year. We thought it would be interesting to look at some of the stories that were making the biopharma news last year at this time (August 12-18, 2018), and see what recent updates there are.
Regeneron was running into issues getting its once-every-12 week dose of Eylea for wet, age-related macular degeneration approved by the FDA, with its application being kicked back due to “ongoing labeling discussions.”

Roche’s Genentech has notched another success on its way to challenging Regeneron — as well as the other Big Pharma contender Novartis — for the blockbuster crown now worn by Eylea.