Phase 3 Study of ALK-001 in Geographic Atrophy — SAGA  

Age Related Macular Degeneration Clinical Trial

Official title: A Phase 2/3 Multicenter, Randomized, Double-masked, Parallel-group, Placebo-controlled Study to Investigate the Safety, Pharmacokinetics, Tolerability, and Efficacy of ALK-001 in Geographic Atrophy Secondary to Age-related Macular Degeneration

Status Active, not recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

This is a double-masked, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, evaluating the efficacy and safety of ALK-001 in participants with Geographic Atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Up to 200 participants will receive ALK-001 while up to 100 participants will receive a placebo.

Clinical Trial Description

There is no treatment available for Geographic Atrophy secondary to AMD. AMD is characterized by an age-related degeneration of the retina.

The root cause for this degeneration or why some people develop AMD while others do not, is unknown. Over 20 years ago, it was hypothesized that the dimerization of vitamin A may be a significant contributor to the etiology of AMD. The eye indeed uses vitamin A as a cofactor to sense light, and a striking chemical signature of the aging and degenerating retina is the accumulation of vitamin A dimers in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and the underlying Bruch's membrane. In rodent models, high levels of vitamin A dimers correlate with poor retinal health, and a variety of mechanisms have been proposed by which vitamin A dimers may induce retinal toxicity. It has been argued that these mechanisms participate in the development and progression of AMD.

ALK-001, the study drug, is a modified form of vitamin A. When taken once a day as a capsule, it replaces natural vitamin A in the body with one that forms vitamin A dimers more slowly. This study will measure the extent to which treatment with ALK-001 slows the progression of Geographic Atrophy. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Age Related Macular Degeneration
• AMD
• Atrophy
• Atrophy, Geographic
• Geographic Atrophy
• Macular Degeneration

• NCT number: NCT03845582
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: Phase 3
• Start date: May 7, 2019
• Completion date: April 1, 2024