ImPact Biotech, a leader in photodynamic therapy, recently announced an agreement with Maastricht University to collaborate in research focused on eye treatment to arrest the progression of the severe eye disease Pathological Myopia, also known as Myopic Macular Degeneration (MMD). The project will use ImPact’s Padeliporfin VTP therapy platform.

Pathologic Myopia represents a subgroup of high myopia (a severe form of short-sightedness) that affects up to 3.8% of the world population. The progressive elongation of the affected eye's axis leads to damages to the retina and macula, with resulting degenerative changes that leads to progressive sight impairment and blindness. According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the vision loss related to Pathologic Myopia is of great clinical significance as it can be progressive, irreversible and affects individuals during their most productive years. Currently there is no treatment to arrest the Pathological Myopia, prevent its debilitating visual complications, or change its course.

ImPact is collaborating with several leading research institutions and experts in related fields to explore the potential role of its therapy platform in Pathological Myopia, and the new collaboration with the University of Maastricht experts - Dr Mor Dickman, a corneal surgeon and an Associate Professor at Maastricht University, and Dr Vanessa LaPointe, an Associate Professor at the MERLN Institute - marks a significant step and milestone in these efforts.

“We look forward to collaborating with Maastricht University's Drs. LaPointe & Dickman on this important research collaboration to address the huge unmet medical need in progressive Myopia, while leveraging our Padeliporfin VTP technology to help patients afflicted with this highly debilitating condition,” said Dr David Perry, Global Head of Research and Development at ImPact Biotech. “Initial results with our Padeliporfin approach are very encouraging and we are looking forward to progress it rapidly towards clinical research by growing our understanding of the disease and the potential interventions to change its course with the contribution of this collaboration.”

Padeliporfin has been approved by the EMA for patients with low-risk Prostate Cancer and is currently being investigated in a phase 3 clinical trial in low-grade Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma. Additional clinical studies are planned to be initiated in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer.