Agents in the pipeline for dry eye disease

EP: 1.Introduction and overview of dry eye

EP: 2.Epidemiology and consequences of untreated dry eye

EP: 3.Diagnosis and overlooking asymptomatic patients with dry eye

EP: 4.Standard testing and assessment for dry eye disease

EP: 5.General principles of treatment of dry eye disease

EP: 6.Communication between ODs and MDs for optimal care

EP: 7.Review of artificial tears for dry eye

EP: 8.Corticosteroids and Immunomodulators for the treatment of dry eye

EP: 9.The role of nutritional supplements and antibiotics in dry eye

EP: 10.Treating meibomian gland dysfunction

EP: 11.In-office procedures and patient resistance for dry eye treatments

EP: 12.Treatment methods for aqueous dry eye

EP: 13.Challenges in the management of dry eye

EP: 14.Counseling and formulary concerns for dry eye therapies

EP: 15.Overlapping diseases and the impact of COVID-19

Now Viewing

EP: 16.Agents in the pipeline for dry eye disease

EP: 17.Novel agents in the pipeline for dry eye disease

Marguerite McDonald, MD: We’re going to talk about some of the agents that are in phase 3 clinical trials. There’s quite a lineup of amazing things coming our way. Let’s start with Crystal. Do you want to run through BRM421 and RGN-259?

Crystal Brimer, OD, FAAO: Yes, it rolls off the tip if your tongue, doesn’t it? The BRM421, this is a synthetic peptide that’s derived from pigment epithelium factor.

It’s going to aid in corneal repair, but it’s also going to stimulate...production. With the RGN-259, there is a long list of its potential benefits. I don’t want to miss any of them, so I’m reading them to you. It promotes corneal healing by reducing inflammation, promotes cell migration, angiogenesis, and stem cell recruitment, protecting cells from cytotoxicity, reducing apoptosis, accelerating collagen and upregulation production of laminin-5, and reduces scar formation. We’re especially excited about that one.

Marguerite McDonald, MD: Absolutely. Eric, why don’t you tell us about the next 2 in the pipeline?

Eric Donnenfeld, MD: Varenicline is a highly selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist being developed as a preservative-free nasal spray. It basically is sprayed into the nose, and it creates a reflex that produces tear production in a very significant way. It activates the lacrimal glands to produce tears, and it reduces the signs and symptoms of dry eye. The FDA trials are extremely promising for this new drug that activates the trigeminal parasympathetic pathway to stimulate natural tear production.

And then SkQ1 is a cardiolipin peroxidation inhibitor that acts on the mitochondria to reduce oxidative stress and neutralizes mitochondrial reactive oxygen species. This again is going through the FDA pipeline at the present time.

Marguerite McDonald, MD, Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Tracy Swartz, OD, MS, FAAO, and Crystal Brimer, OD, FAAO, discuss a number of topics pertaining to dry eye, including the diagnosis and clinical manifestations, traditional, treatment options, and the potential new agents in the horizon.