Valitor Presents Preclinical Data Demonstrating VLTR-559 Achieves Superior Durability and Sustained Anti-VEGF Activity with a Favorable Safety Profile as a Treatment for Wet AMD
Preclinical results support 6-month dosing, demonstrating VLTR-559’s substantially longer ocular half-life, with high drug concentrations retained in the retina compared to current anti-VEGF standard of care
VLTR-559 potency was maintained three-fold longer than aflibercept in preclinical models
VLTR-559 was well tolerated at target clinical dose with a safety profile similar to approved short-acting anti-VEGF therapies for wet AMD
Data featured in an oral presentation at the at the Eyecelerator Conference held in conjunction with the AAO 2025 Annual Meeting
BERKELEY, Calif., Oct. 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valitor, a biotechnology company engineering a new generation of ophthalmic medicines, today announced new preclinical data demonstrating that VLTR-559, a long-acting anti-VEGF biologic designed to enable twice-yearly dosing for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD), achieved its preclinical durability and safety targets compared with approved short-acting anti-VEGF therapies for wet AMD. Data were presented in an oral presentation at the Eyecelerator Conference held in conjunction with the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) 2025 Annual Meeting.
“These compelling preclinical results reinforce the potential of VLTR-559 to deliver superior durability without compromising safety,” said Gregory D. Kunst, chief executive officer of Valitor. “By maintaining efficacy for more than six months, VLTR-559 could meaningfully reduce the treatment burden for patients with wet AMD while offering the promise of improved long-term outcomes. These findings underscore the strength of our science and support advancing VLTR-559 toward clinical evaluation as a potential best-in-class therapy for wet AMD.”
In preclinical models, VLTR-559 inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a key modulator of retinal exudation, with the equivalent high potency of approved short-acting anti-VEGF therapies for wet AMD. VLTR-559 was also retained in ocular tissues, including the retina, at high drug concentrations with a significantly longer ocular half-life than current anti-VEGF standards of care. Anti-VEGF activity was also sustained for months after administration. These results suggest that VLTR-559 could enable a more durable treatment approach, extending reliable re-dosing intervals to at least six months for most if not all wet AMD patients.
“Current anti-VEGF therapies have transformed patient care for wet AMD, but many patients still struggle with the demands of ongoing, frequent injections,” said Philip J. Rosenfeld, M.D., Ph.D., retina specialist and professor at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami. “These data suggest that VLTR-559 could offer patients significant treatment durability with longer-lasting disease control. With dosing every 6 month, VLTR-559 would be a significant step forward in preserving both vision and independence without the need for viral gene therapy and the need for frequent visits.”
About VLTR-559
VLTR-559 is a long-acting anti-VEGF therapy in development for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Anti-VEGF therapy is the gold-standard treatment for wet AMD; however, the current generation anti-VEGFs require a high burden of intravitreal injections and frequent office visits for disease monitoring to prevent losses in efficacy over the long-term. VLTR-559 was developed using the company’s proprietary multivalent polymer (MVP) technology platform to enable reliable dosing only twice yearly, with the overall goal of improving long-term efficacy. In preclinical studies, VLTR-559 exhibited safety and efficacy that was consistent with approved short-acting anti-VEGF therapies. The data showed that VLTR-559 remained in ocular tissues including the retina three to four times longer than first generation anti-VEGFs, demonstrating unprecedented durability at the target site without losing potency. Valitor is advancing VLTR-559 through IND-enabling activities.
About Valitor
Valitor is conquering limitations of established drug targets by leveraging its multivalent biopolymer technology to maximize benefits for patients. The company is initially focused on developing long-acting molecules aimed at capturing several large markets in ophthalmology. Valitor’s lead product is a long-acting inhibitor of VEGF designed to reliably extend the duration of a single dose in humans to six months or more, which would offer a substantial benefit for the majority of patients that require dosing approximately every 8-12 weeks with the current market leaders. Valitor’s proprietary platform technology has been shown in preclinical models to safely enable intravitreal treatment with unprecedented target tissue durability and potency. For more information on the company, please visit its website at https://www.valitorbio.com/ or follow its LinkedIn page.
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