In July, American pharmaceutical giant Merck completed the $3 billion acquisition of a biotech firm named Eyebio. The deal included a hefty upfront cash payment of $1.3 billion.
The centrepiece of the acquisition was EYE103, a cutting-edge, antibody-based drug with remarkable potential to treat retinal diseases caused by vascular leakage, such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD), diabetic macular oedema (DME), and familial exudative vitreoretinopathy (FEVR).
NVAMD affects over 200 million people globally, while millions more with type-1 or type-2 diabetes are at risk of developing DME. FEVR is a disorder that can lead to progressive vision loss. These conditions had no cures and EYE103 offers hope as a first drug of its kind. Its innovative antibody activates the Wnt-signalling pathway-a protein network that transmits cellular information-strengthening blood vessel integrity in the eye and preventing fluid build-up in the retina.
The antibody molecule in EYE103 is one of thousands of engineered antibodies-each with the potential to become future drugs for a range of serious illnesses, from cancer to rare diseases originating from the lab of Canadian researcher Sachdev Sidhu.
The 55-year-old recently returned to his country of origin for an event. I met him for a teatime interview at a bistro beside the serene artificial lake at the Taj Kumarakom Resort in Kerala. I was expecting a formally attired, jargon-spewing man of science. But, my preconceived notions were quickly shattered. Sidhu, the author of more than 200 scientific papers, a co-inventor on more than 50 patents granted by or filed with the US patent office, and a professor and entrepreneurin-residence at the University of Waterloo, arrived in shorts and a round-neck T-shirt and ordered a glass of wine. In response to one of my early questions, he quoted American rapper Snoop Dogg.
This story is from the December 01, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.
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This story is from the December 01, 2024 edition of THE WEEK India.
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