Macugen^®
(pegaptanib sodium)

Macugen® (pegaptanib sodium) is approved for the treatment of exudative (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in adults.

Macugen® was enabled using Nektar's proprietary Advanced PEGylation Technology. Macugen® is based on an anti-VEGF aptamer and is the first PEGylated oligonucleotide approved by the FDA. Recognizing that aptamers like anti-VEGF are quickly cleared by the body, (OSI) Eyetech scientists partnered with Nektar to formulate a PEGylated anti-VEGF treatment that would improve drug efficacy, safety, and bioavailability, and reduce the number of injections required to deliver the therapy effectively.

Neovascular or wet AMD and DME are two of the leading causes of severe vision loss and blindness in the adult population. In the U.S., there are more than 1.6 million cases of neovascular AMD. Approximately 500,000 new cases of neovascular AMD arise each year world-wide, of which approximately 200,000 are in the U.S. Although neovascular AMD represents approximately 10% of all AMD cases, it is responsible for up to 90% of the severe vision loss associated with AMD, with a majority of neovascular AMD patients experiencing severe vision loss in the affected eye within months to two years after diagnosis of the disease. Because AMD generally affects adults over 50 years of age, the incidence of AMD is expected to increase significantly as the baby boom generation ages and overall life expectancy increases.¹

This information should not be used as a source for prescribing information on Macugen.

1. Source: OSI Pharmaceuticals website