Promising results from choroidal melanoma trial

Aura Biosciences has announced positive results from a clinical trial involving 30 patients with small to medium primary choroidal melanoma.

The trial tested the safety and efficacy of AU-011, a targeted therapy that has received fast track designation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Aura Biosciences highlighted that interim data shows that the treatment is generally well-tolerated with no serious adverse events or dose-limiting toxicities observed. Adverse events were manageable with standard of care treatments.

The company reported that pre-treatment visual acuity was maintained in all subjects that have been followed for six to 12 months.

Dr Ivana Kim, of Massachusetts Eye and Ear, said preliminary findings show that the therapy provides local tumour control without loss of visual acuity for the majority of patients.

“That is an encouraging sign of progress toward developing a new treatment for this cancer that could preserve much more vision than radiotherapy, which is the current standard of care but not FDA approved for this indication,” she emphasised.