New Therapy for Wet AMD Introduced in Switzerland by Oraya® Therapeutics and EyeRAD

NEWARK, Calif. & BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oraya Therapeutics, Inc. and EyeRAD announced today that agreements have been reached to establish the Vista Klinik in Basel as one of the world’s first centers to offer the Oraya Therapy™ for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in people over 65 in the Western world.

The Oraya Therapy is a non-invasive, low-energy X-Ray treatment intended as a one-time procedure to reduce or eliminate the need for frequent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injections directly into the eye, which are costly and burdensome for patients and clinicians alike. The Oraya treatment is a simple outpatient procedure, requiring approximately 20 minutes, with no limitations on patient activities after the therapy.

The Vista Klinik in Basel has become the first ophthalmology center in Switzerland to offer this revolutionary new therapy. Professor Christian Pruente, head of the Vista Klinik, commented, “Wet AMD currently affects over 8,000 people in Switzerland, causing about 60,000 injections into the eye as a treatment option. The current anti-VEGF therapies place a high and difficult burden on the patients, their families and on the health care system, with many patients requiring six to eight injections per year to maintain vision. We are very pleased to be able to offer the Oraya Therapy as a welcome and meaningful alternative for these patients.”

Dr. Emmanuil Lazaridis, CEO of EyeRAD, stated, “We are proud and excited to bring this important and unique therapy to the Swiss market and the patients who will be served. We are also very fortunate to have the support and involvement of such influential and respected clinicians as Prof. Christian Pruente and the staff of the Vista Klinik, and we look forward to making a positive impact in the treatment of this challenging disease.”

The efficacy and safety of the Oraya Therapy has been demonstrated in the INTREPID study, the first sham-controlled, double-masked trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety for a one-time radiation therapy in conjunction with as-needed anti-VEGF injections for the treatment of Wet AMD. The study was conducted in 21 sites and five countries across Europe and met its primary endpoint by reducing the frequency of anti-VEGF injections by 32 percent for the actually treated patients compared to the control group. An analysis of the best responders in the INTREPID trial shows that anti-VEGF injections were reduced by 54 percent, while also achieving better vision outcomes than patients in the sham arm of the study. In this group, 33 percent of the patients required no additional injections for the duration of the one-year trial, compared with none of the sham patients experiencing that outcome. Published results from the trial are available online at the Ophthalmology website.

Oraya President and CEO Jim Taylor said, “Both the Vista Klinik and EyeRAD are organizations that share our values regarding the importance of good science, a commitment to the highest standards of quality and patient care, and a focus on cost-effective services that offer better patient outcomes. We could not be more positively encouraged by the support and interest that we have received, and we look forward to expanding the access and availability of this important therapy in the months ahead.” The Oraya Therapy is now available to patients in both the UK and Switzerland.

Notes to the editor

About Wet AMD:

Wet AMD is characterized by abnormal growth of blood vessels in the macula, and is responsible for the vast majority of severe vision loss in the industrialized world. If left untreated, it can quickly lead to the rapid deterioration of visual acuity and blindness. While there is no cure for Wet AMD, the expense and burden of current treatment methods have driven the development of novel approaches such as the Oraya Therapy.

About Vista Klinik:

The Basel Vista Klinik is part of a highly respected group of private eye care hospitals, offering a full range of routine and innovative medical and surgical capabilities to patients throughout Switzerland. The Vista Klinik treats over 40,000 patients per year, and offers a complete range of routine and specialised ophthalmic procedures and services.

About EyeRAD:

EyeRAD SWISS Medical, a privately held company, is the authorized exclusive representative for the Oraya Therapy in Switzerland and other markets. EyeRAD is operating a dedicated ophthalmology IGSRS Center (Image Guided Stereotactic Radiosurgery Center) within the Vista Klinik.

About Oraya Therapeutics:

Oraya Therapeutics, Inc. is a privately held company developing innovative and non-invasive therapies for diseases of the eye. The company was founded in 2007. Its investors include Essex Woodlands Health Ventures, Domain Associates, Scale Venture Partners, and Synergy Life Science Partners. More information about Oraya Therapeutics can be found at www.orayainc.com.