Atopic keratoconjunctivitis, or AKC, is a severe allergic conjunctivitis which usually persists all year and for which the allergen(s) are usually unidentified. Akari’s Phase I/II study in AKC was closed early due to disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. Interim data from eight AKC patients from Part A and Part B (4 active, 4 placebo) in that study appeared encouraging and demonstrated that nomacopan eyedrops were safe and comfortable. Akari subsequently received an FDA IND for treatment with topical nomacopan, which opens up the potential for a broader topical ophthalmological program.
Akari is also exploring the potential for nomacopan as a treatment for back-of- the-eye inflammatory conditions. This consists of a range of preclinical programs that have demonstrated, using long acting PAS-nomacopan, a reduction in both inflammation as well as VEGF.
In mouse eye inflammation model, retinal inflammation was reduced by 58% & 42% with PAS-nomacopan, versus saline & anti-VEGF respectively and with significant VEGF reduction by PAS-nomacopan, equivalent to anti-VEGF.
(Eskandarpour et al., Cells 2021;10:396. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells10020396)
