Wednesday January 14, 6:02 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
InSite Vision Updates Investors at Hambrecht & Quist Health Care Conference
SAN FRANCISCO--(BW HealthWire)--Jan. 14, 1998--In an invited presentation to the 16th Annual Hambrecht & Quist Health Care Conference in San
Francisco today, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of InSite Vision, Incorporated (NMS:INSV), Kumar Chandrasekaran, Ph.D., provided institutional
investors with an update on the Company's progress and its target for completing corporate partnerships.
Dr. Chandrasekaran's presentation outlined the Company's strategy to initiate marketing of genetic tests this year which detects susceptibility to glaucoma, using its
strong proprietary position in the genetics of open angle and primary congenital glaucomas. The recent allowance of patent claims for the diagnosis of open angle
glaucoma reinforces the proprietary nature of these tests.
The Company's test for open angle glaucoma is designed to screen people for susceptibility to the most common type of this disease. This test may be used to
identify and differentiate those at the highest risk of developing glaucoma among the estimated 10 to 15 million ocular hypertensive patients and the estimated 12
million relatives of glaucoma patients in the U.S. The primary congenital screening test is designed to allow physicians to detect this sight threatening disease in the 4
million newborns in the U.S. and provide treatment before irreversible vision loss occurs. The Company believes that these tests will be in the marketplace late this
year.
''In addition,'' Dr. Chandrasekaran said, ''the significance of ISV-205, which has been shown to block the formation of the TIGR protein, has increased dramatically
with recent data showing that the TIGR gene, which codes for TIGR protein, is linked to a significant number of glaucoma patients.''
''InSite's third technology is an innovative and proprietary retinal drug delivery program which we believe has the potential to significantly improve the treatment of
retinal diseases,'' Dr. Chandrasekaran continued. Ophthalmic conditions that involve retinal damage include macular degeneration, which affects 10 million or more
people in the U.S., and diabetic retinopathy, a common side effect of diabetes. Approximately 9 million people in the U.S. are diabetics. Both macular degeneration
and diabetic retinopathy can lead to irreversible vision loss and blindness.
''Recently, InSite also successfully completed patient dosing for a Phase II study of ISV-120 for the prevention of pterygium recurrence, initiated a Phase II study of
ISV-611 for inflammation and allergy and, later this quarter, anticipates initiating Phase III studies in collaboration with Bausch & Lomb of ISV-208, a once-a-day
ocular hypertensive agent,'' Dr. Chandrasekaran concluded.
InSite Vision is an ophthalmic product development company with programs based on three platforms: genetic research for diagnosis and prognosis of glaucoma; the
development of new and improved ophthalmic drugs using the proprietary DuraSite(R) eyedrop-based delivery system; and the non-surgical delivery of drugs to the
back of the eye.
This press release contains, among other things, certain statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events or the future business performance of InSite
Vision. Such statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties including the results of preclinical and clinical studies and determinations by the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration, as well as the Risk Factors listed from time to time in the Company's SEC filings including but not limited to its Form 10Q for the quarter ended
September 30, 1997. |
