GC Biopharma and Novelty Nobility Join Forces to Develop Novel Geographic Atrophy Treatment
In a significant move towards tackling a debilitating eye condition, GC Biopharma and Novelty Nobility, two leading biotech companies, have announced a joint research and development agreement to create a novel treatment for geographic atrophy (GA). GA, an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a leading cause of blindness in the elderly, affecting an estimated 1.5 million people in the United States alone.
While the FDA approved the first treatment for GA in the US last year, it demonstrated limited efficacy in slowing GA progression and failed to restore vision. Moreover, the drug was associated with side effects, including the development of wet AMD and inflammation. This highlights the urgent need for safer and more effective therapies for GA patients.
Under the terms of the agreement, GC Biopharma and Novelty Nobility will collaborate throughout the drug development lifecycle, focusing on antibody-based protein therapeutics. The initial step involves identifying novel proteins critical to GA pathology and utilizing this knowledge to select potential therapeutic candidates.
“Novelty Nobility has been developing a next-generation treatment for wet AMD using a proprietary antibody for the past several years,” said Sang-gyu Park, Chief Executive Officer of Novelty Nobility. “We aim to leverage our expertise in retinal disease to expand into the GA treatment space. This collaboration with GC Biopharma will enable us to advance our research and potentially develop a transformative treatment for patients with GA.”
Jaewook Jung, Head of Research and Development at GC Biopharma, echoed the sentiment: “We expect this collaboration will generate synergy by combining Novelty Nobility’s experience in developing antibody-based treatments for retinal diseases with our expertise in protein therapeutics. Through open innovation, we aim to expand our development efforts beyond our core areas of plasma derivatives and rare diseases to other therapeutic fields.”
This partnership represents a promising step towards addressing the significant unmet need for effective and safe GA treatments. By combining their expertise, GC Biopharma and Novelty Nobility aim to deliver a transformative treatment that can significantly improve the lives of patients suffering from this debilitating condition.
