CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to preserving the sight of individuals impacted by retinal diseases, today announced the establishment of a new Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) to support the advancement of the company’s innovative breakthrough-designated therapy and further deepen its expertise in degenerative retinal diseases. The SAB will work closely with Alkeus’ team to provide strategic guidance and expert insights to support the development of its programs and science.
“It’s an honor to welcome these distinguished retinal disease experts to our scientific advisory board,” said Michel Dahan, President and CEO of Alkeus Pharmaceuticals. “As we prepare for one of the most important years in Alkeus’ history, this accomplished group will bring their unparalleled expertise in degenerative retinal diseases to help guide us through the critical steps in the years ahead, which includes the potential to transform the treatment of Stargardt disease. Their extensive knowledge and experience will significantly enhance our ability to advance our breakthrough therapy and will be instrumental in accelerating our efforts to develop much-needed treatments for patients with degenerative retinal diseases who have limited or no therapeutic options available to them.”
Founding members of the Alkeus SAB are:
Kenneth Fan, M.D., M.B.A.
Assistant Clinical Professor at the Blanton Eye Institute, Houston Methodist Hospital. Medical and surgical retina specialist at the Retina Consultants of Texas in Houston.
Mark Pennesi, M.D., Ph.D., FARVO
Director of the Inherited Retinal Degeneration Division at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest, Professor of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University and a Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
SriniVas Sadda, M.D., FARVO
Director of Artificial Intelligence & Imaging Research at the Doheny Eye Institute, and Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) Geffen School of Medicine and a Fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.
Lejla Vajzovic, M.D., FASRS
Director of the Duke Surgical Vitreoretinal Fellowship Program, Co-Director of the Duke Pediatric Retina and Optic Nerve Center, and Director of the Duke Center for Artificial and Regenerative Vision. She is a tenured Professor of Ophthalmology, Pediatrics, and Biomedical Engineering at Duke University and a Fellow of the American Society of Retina Specialists. A vitreoretinal specialist and surgeon, Dr. Vajzovic focuses on adult and pediatric retinal diseases, gene therapy, and advanced imaging technologies.
About Alkeus Pharmaceuticals
Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a private biopharmaceutical company with headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., backed by institutional investors led by Bain Capital Life Sciences. Founded in 2010, Alkeus is developing therapies for serious diseases of the eye with high unmet need, with the purpose to preserve the sight of individuals impacted by retinal diseases. Alkeus’ breakthrough-designated lead candidate, gildeuretinol acetate (ALK-001), is a new molecular entity currently being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of Stargardt disease and for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
About Gildeuretinol Acetate (ALK-001)
Oral gildeuretinol acetate (ALK-001) is a new molecular entity designed to reduce the dimerization of vitamin A without modulating the visual cycle. In preclinical studies, gildeuretinol decreased vitamin A dimerization down to the normal rate and prevented retinal degeneration and loss of visual function in animals with Stargardt disease. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked clinical trial of gildeuretinol in late-stage Stargardt patients (TEASE-1) showed clinically and statistically significant slowing of the growth of retinal lesions over two years of treatment. Additional clinical trials of gildeuretinol in Stargardt disease are ongoing. Gildeuretinol has received Breakthrough Therapy, Rare Pediatric Disease, Fast Track and Orphan Drug designations for Stargardt disease from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A study (SAGA) of gildeuretinol in 198 patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) demonstrated a meaningful trend in the reduction of lesion growth rate and demonstrated a functional benefit in low luminance visual acuity (LLVA). In studies, gildeuretinol demonstrated a favorable safety and tolerability profile.
For further information, please contact:
Media@alkeuspharma.com
Website: www.alkeuspharma.com
