Apellis to Acquire Potentia

Apellis Pharmaceuticals has entered into an agreement to acquire Potentia Pharmaceuticals, obtaining the rights to develop its complement inhibitor drug compound APL-2 in ophthalmology. Financial terms were not disclosed.
 
Complement inhibition is a mechanism shown to reduce the growth of dry AMD. Potentia was the first company to develop a complement inhibitor for the treatment of AMD. APL-2 is in late preclinical development in ophthalmology and is expected to enter Phase II trials in patients with AMD by the middle of 2015.
 
Cedric Francois, MD, Ph.D. and chief executive officer of Apellis said, “We are delighted to be back in retinal drug development. Ophthalmology is a unique therapeutic area that is very dear to us. We have learned much about complement since our first venture in this area a decade ago, and have great hopes that complement inhibition will be the first effective treatment for patients with dry AMD.”