Astellas Retracts EMA Application for ACP

Astellas Pharma recently decided to pull its European Medicines Agency (EMA) application for avacincaptad pegol (ACP), a drug designed to address geographic atrophy (GA) tied to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Although clinical trials showed ACP could slow GA progression, discussions with EMA presented unexpected challenges, leading to this decision.

Despite the setback, Astellas reaffirmed its commitment to advancing ACP globally, including within Europe, where it will continue exploring other regulatory pathways. This reflects Astellas’ dedication to bringing innovative treatment options to patients who are grappling with the progressive vision loss that GA causes.