BETA-TT8

BETA-TT8 is under development as a breakthrough treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and diabetic macular oedema, inflammatory diseases marked by overgrowth in the retina of abnormally shaped and abnormally leaky blood vessels that result in oedema (swelling) of the retina that blocks light from reaching the retina.

Current and most emerging treatments of this disease process focus on blocking a group of proteins known as vascular endothelial growth factors (or VEGFs) that contribute to the creation of the abnormal blood vessels.

The problem is that there is a range of other proteins that contribute to the disease process, with the result that VEGF-inhibiting drugs only do half the job at best.

Adding to this problem, current VEGF inhibitors need to be injected directly into the eyeball on a regular monthly basis, a procedure that, for some, is discomforting, can result in serious side effects, and is inconvenient.

BETA-TT8 offers two potential breakthroughs.

First, BETA-TT8 has been designed to deliver a more potent therapeutic effect by blocking VEGFs plus a range of other inflammatory drivers known to be involved in wet AMD, including VCAM-1, ICAM-1, IL-6, IL-1b, CXCL-1, CXCL-3, CXCL-8 and CCL-20.

Second, BETA-TT8 is a small molecule capable of being delivered by eyedropper and therefore offering patient-friendly treatment that avoids the current, much-maligned monthly eyeball injections.

BETA-TT8 is currently being prepared for a human trial.

NOTE: This project is being funded by a 3-year grant from the Australian Government.