Annexon, Inc. (ANNX) saw its stock surge 5.23% in pre-market trading on Thursday, driven by positive news regarding its lead drug candidate ANX007 for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA), an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The company announced that it will present analyses from the completed Phase 2 ARCHER trial at the Floretina-ICOOR 2024 conference, showcasing ANX007's ability to protect against vision loss and preserve photoreceptors in GA patients.

Highlights of the data to be presented include: - ANX007 demonstrated significant, time and dose-dependent protection from vision loss as measured by ≥15-letter loss on reading an eye chart, a clinically meaningful functional endpoint. - The treatment effect increased over time, suggesting a growing and durable protective effect. - ANX007 also showed significant preservation of photoreceptors in the fovea region, critical for visual acuity, as measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF).

Annexon is currently conducting a global Phase 3 trial called ARCHER II, actively enrolling around 630 patients with GA. Topline data from this pivotal study is expected in the second half of 2026.

With no approved therapies that have been shown to significantly prevent vision loss in GA, a positive readout from ARCHER II could position ANX007 as a potential first-in-class treatment for this debilitating eye condition affecting millions worldwide.