SARcode Corporation to Present Phase 2 Clinical Data for Dry Eye Candidate at the ARVO2011 Annual Meeting

BRISBANE, Calif., March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- SARcode Corporation announced today that clinical data for their lead compound, SAR 1118, has been accepted for presentation during the upcoming Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Annual Meeting being held May 1–May 5, 2011, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  SAR 1118 is an investigational novel small-molecule topical therapy that inhibits T-cell mediated inflammation, a key component of dry eye syndrome.  

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The presentation, entitled "A Phase 2 Multicenter, Double-masked, Placebo-controlled Study of a Novel Lymphocyte Function-associated Antigen-1 (LFA-1) Antagonist (SAR 1118) for the Treatment of Dry Eye" (Program #2823, Poster #D956), will be presented on Tuesday, May 3, from 3:45 pm to 5:30 pm in Hall B/C by Charles Semba, MD, Chief Medical Officer of SARcode.  The study met approvable endpoints in both signs and symptoms when treating dry eye subjects over a 12-week period. SAR 1118 demonstrated dose-dependent improvements, including tear production, as early as 2 weeks(p<0.05). The study showed significant improvements(p<0.05) in fluorescein corneal staining and the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) score, a validated instrument designed to measure the impact of dry eye disease on visual functioning and vision-related quality of life.   SAR 1118 appears safe and well-tolerated with no serious ocular adverse events reported.  Most ocular adverse events were transient and related to initial instillation.

"We are very excited to share the SAR 1118 data with the ophthalmic community, especially because of the rapid onset of action at 2 weeks and the ability to improve a clinical sign and patient-reported symptoms, in this case visual function and quality of life," said Quinton Oswald, Chief Executive Officer of SARcode.  "There is currently no dry eye therapy indicated for improvement of a symptom.  Since dry eye disease can substantially decrease quality of life and ability to function, we are thrilled to move this promising agent forward into Phase 3 trials."

About Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome is a prevalent and often chronic condition estimated to affect approximately 20 million people in the US.  It is among the most common diseases treated by ophthalmologists throughout the world, and has been shown to have a significant impact upon quality of life.  Dry eye varies in severity and etiology, and symptoms most commonly manifest as discomfort, visual disturbances, and tear film instability due to decreased quality or quantity of tears.  A major contributing factor towards the development of dry eye is inflammation caused by T-cell infiltration, proliferation and inflammatory cytokine production that can lead to reduction in tear film quality and ocular surface damage.

About SAR 1118

SAR 1118 is a potent novel small molecule lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1; CD11a/CD18; alphaLbeta2) antagonist under investigation for a broad range of ocular inflammatory conditions including dry eye and diabetic macular edema. LFA-1 is member of the integrin family of adhesion receptors found on the surface of all leukocytes and represents a therapeutic target central to a number of inflammatory stimuli. SAR 1118 has demonstrated potency in blocking LFA-1 binding to its cognate ligand, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1; CD54), thereby inhibiting cell adhesion, cytokine production, and cellular proliferation in in vitro models.

About SARcode Corporation

SARcode Corporation, founded in 2006, is a venture-backed ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company based in Brisbane, CA.  SARcode's lead development program is a novel class of lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) antagonists for the treatment T-cell mediated inflammatory diseases.  Institutional investors include Alta Partners and Clarus Venture Partners. For more information, visit www.sarcode.com.

SOURCE SARcode Corporation