Clinical Trials
ONL is leveraging its innovative neuroprotection platform technology to develop new treatments for multiple, vision-threatening retinal diseases
ONL’s lead therapeutic candidate, ONL1204, is a first-in-class small peptide that effectively inhibits the Fas receptor, thus blocking the activation of the Fas pathway and the related immune signaling which results in the death of key retinal cells and loss of vision.
ONL Therapeutics is currently conducting clinical studies of ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution across the following indications:
- Geographic atrophy (GA) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD): A Phase 1b study in patients with GA associated with dry AMD conducted at sites in Australia and New Zealand has been completed. Data assessments showed efficacy signals observed after 6 months, with ONL1204-treated eyes slowing GA lesion growth compared to untreated eyes. Plans for a Phase 2 study in patients with GA are underway.
- Open angle glaucoma: A Phase 1b study of patients with open-angle glaucoma conducted at sites in Australia and New Zealand has been completed. Data assessments demonstrated that ONL1204-treated eyes showed sustained increases in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and improved or stabilized visual fields. These initial data points demonstrate the potential for ONL1204 as a neuroprotection treatment for progressing open-angle glaucoma patients. Plans for a Phase 2 study in patients with open angle glaucoma are underway.
- Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (macula-off): A Phase 2 clinical study for the treatment of patients with macula-off, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment conducted at sites in the United States has been completed. While the study overall did not meet the primary endpoint, ONL1204 did show benefit in patients at highest risk for vision loss, consistent with a potential neuroprotective effect seen across all clinical studies to date.
Across all clinical studies to date, ONL1204 has been found to be generally safe and well tolerated, under the planned oversight and guidance of safety review committees.
Learn more about our ongoing clinical trials below:
Geographic Atrophy
A Phase 1b Study to Assess the Safety and Tolerability of Intravitreal ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution in Patients with Geographic Atrophy (GA) Associated with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) has become a major cause of visual disability and legal blindness globally. Although generally affecting only the central retina (macula), this region of photoreceptors provides the visual acuity necessary for reading, driving, and the performance of fine vision-related tasks. Associated with aging, cigarette smoking, obesity, diets low in certain nutrients, a lifestyle related to cardiac risk, and a growing list of genetic factors, AMD is becoming an increasingly prevalent public health concern, especially as the global population ages. Geographic atrophy (GA), also called atrophic AMD, is an advanced form of AMD. The primary objective of this Phase 1b study is to evaluate the safety of two doses (50 μg and 200 μg) of two IVT injections of ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution, dosed 3 months apart, and to explore efficacy signals, in subjects with GA associated with dry AMD.
Open Angle Glaucoma
A Phase 1b Study to Assess the Safety and Tolerability of Intravitreal ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution in Patients with Progressing Open Angle Glaucoma
Open angle glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness in people aged 60 years and older and affects approximately 44.7 million people worldwide with an estimated prevalence in the United States of 2.7 million in 2011, which is expected to increase to 7.3 million by 2050. Open angle glaucoma is characterized by damage to retinal ganglion cell axons at the optic nerve head, resulting in progressive visual field defects. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the primary modifiable risk factor and reducing IOP is the only clinical approach shown to slow/prevent vision loss. Despite the availability of effective IOP lowering drugs, many patients require multiple agents to control IOP that together often fail to achieve a “target” IOP. An alternative approach is to directly protect retinal ganglion cells, independent of IOP. There are currently no approved pharmacological therapies for neuroprotection in glaucoma. The development of ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution addresses a clear unmet medical need: the prevention of vision loss in patients suffering from deterioration of visual function because of progressing open angle glaucoma. The primary objective of this Phase 1b study is to evaluate the safety of two doses (50 μg and 100 μg) of two IVT injections of ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution, dosed 3 months apart, and to explore efficacy signals, in subjects with progressing open-angle glaucoma.
Retinal Detachment
A Phase 2, Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Single-Masked, Dose-Ranging, Multi-Center Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Intravitreal ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution in Subjects with Macula-off Rhegmatogenous Retinal Detachment
Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) is an acute and serious vision-threatening condition in which a tear in the retina allows liquefied vitreous to enter the subretinal space, thereby detaching the photoreceptor (PR) layer of the retina from the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the principal source of metabolic support for the PR layer. Once detached, PRs undergo a cascade of inflammation and cell death leadign to vision loss after RRD. There are nearly 100,000 retinal detachment repairs annually in the US alone. The primary objective of this Phase 2 study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of two doses (50 μg and 200 μg) of a single IVT injection of ONL1204 Ophthalmic Solution as an adjunct to standard-of-care (SOC) surgical repair in subjects with a macula-off RRD.