Bayer HealthCare reports positive phase III data for VEGF Trap-Eye

Bayer HealthCare has published positive clinical data from the latest phase III trial of its ocular health treatment VEGF Trap-Eye.

Results from the Galileo trial have shown that the drug is able to deliver benefits to patients suffering from macular oedema due to central retinal vein occlusion after a year of treatment.

This backs up the primary endpoint data recorded after 24 weeks and also falls in line with results from the previous one-year Copernicus study, which will aid the efforts of Bayer and partner Regeneron to seek regulatory approval of the drug.

A supplemental biologics licence application has already been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration, while a submission to the European Medicines Agency is also planned for the second half of 2012.

Dr Kemal Malik, member of the Bayer HealthCare executive committee and head of global development, said: "The results of Galileo and Copernicus are encouraging for patients with central retinal vein occlusion as they show a durable improvement in visual acuity after one year of treatment with VEGF Trap-Eye."

This comes after the company published data in December 2011 showing the drug's efficacy as a treatment for age-related macular degeneration.