BERKELEY, Calif., Dec. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valitor, a biotechnology company engineering better medicines to conquer drug limitations, today announced that its president and chief scientific officer, Wesley Jackson, Ph.D., will present at the Ophthalmology Innovation Source (OIS) XII Summit in San Diego, CA on December 3, 2022.
The presentation will review VLTR-557, an anti-VEGF therapy that is expected to provide effective therapy against wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with twice-yearly dosing based on preclinical findings. With VLTR-557, multiple copies of specially-engineered single-domain VHH antibodies are covalently conjugated to a hyaluronic acid biopolymer to create an anti-VEGF therapy that is long-acting, transparent – creating no optical interference, and is dosed with a standard intravitreal injection. Preclinical studies have demonstrated that VLTR-557 has an exceptional overall safety profile and does not leave residual depot materials within the eye. VLTR-557 was created using the company’s Multivalent Polymer (MVP) technology platform, which enables the development of novel macromolecular compounds through the use of biopolymers that can be engineered with multiple copies of bioactive molecules.
“We believe we have cracked the code to making durable biologics, and our lead product candidate VLTR-557 is a prime example of the durability, potency and safety profile that is possible with our approach to drug engineering,” said Dr. Jackson. “Anti-VEGF therapies have been the gold standard for the treatment of wet AMD, but there has been a long-standing challenge to reduce the rate that these products will be cleared out of the eye to reduce the necessary frequency of administration. We are addressing this challenge with the development of our next generation anti-VEGF therapy, VLTR-557, and we look forward to keeping the community apprised of our progress as we begin IND-enabling studies.”
| Presentation details as follows: | |
| Title: | VLTR-557, a Novel Anti-VEGF Antibody Conjugate |
| Session: | Retina Innovation Showcase |
| Date: | Saturday, December 3, 2022 |
| Time: | 11:40 a.m. – 12:50 p.m. PT |
About the MVP Technology
Valitor’s Multivalent Polymer (MVP) technology platform originated at U.C. Berkeley. The MVP platform is based on proprietary multi-valent biopolymers that are coupled with bioactive molecules. The biopolymers and bioactive molecules are interchangeable, which enables Valitor to assemble novel macromolecular entities that are engineered to overcome a multitude of specific drug design challenges for their target indications. Unlike other methods of drug modification that are designed to modify individual drug properties, Valitor’s novel approach allows for independent control of multiple drug attributes, including pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties, improved target engagement/tissue localization, therapeutic durability, and improved safety. In research studies, Valitor’s novel compounds have shown >1,000-fold increases in VEGF binding affinity, up to 10-fold increases in tissue retention, and excellent preclinical safety.
About Valitor
Valitor is conquering limitations of established drug targets by leveraging its multi-valent biopolymer technology to maximize benefits for patients. The company is engineering disruptive medicines that optimize how and where disease mechanisms are targeted to produce the most significant clinical impact. Valitor is initially focused on improving patient outcomes in ophthalmology and vision-threatening diseases. The company has won numerous awards and grants, including from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Eye Institute (NEI), National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), among others. Valitor is based at the Bakar BioEnginuity Hub at U.C. Berkeley. For more information on the company, please visit its website at https://www.valitorbio.com/ or follow its LinkedIn page.
Investor and Media Contacts
Sylvia Wheeler
swheeler@wheelhouselsa.com
Aljanae Reynolds
areynolds@wheelhouselsa.com
Valitor Contact
info@valitorbio.com
