New ocular allergy drug’s MOA targets inflammation
A new, first-in-class, aldehyde-trap topical drop demonstrated rapid onset of action and sustained efficacy with an acceptable safety profile in a phase II clinical trial of patients with moderate-to-severe allergic conjunctivitis.
Reviewed by David J. Clark, MD, and Anne Marie Salapatek, PhD
Take-Home Message: A new, first-in-class, aldehyde-trap topical drop demonstrated rapid onset of action and sustained efficacy with an acceptable safety profile in a phase II clinical trial of patients with moderate-to-severe allergic conjunctivitis.
Lexington, MA-A new topical drug that counteracts the effects of moderate-to-severe allergic conjunctivitis reportedly works fast, provides a significant sustained clinical effect, and does not appear to be toxic to ocular tissues.
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This new platform (NS2, Aldeyra Therapeutics) also has a novel mechanism of action that is distinctive from anti-histamines and other medications currently used to treat allergic conjunctivitis.
“This is a new therapeutic approach for diseases characterized by inflammation or other conditions in which aldehyde metabolism is impaired,” said David Clark, MD, chief medical officer of Aldeyra Therapeutics. “It was very encouraging for us to see the substantial efficacy of this new platform in our phase IIa trial.”
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What separates NS2 from other drugs is that it is a small-molecule, aldehyde trap and is the first therapy to address allergic conjunctivitis early in the inflammatory cascade.
High levels of aldehydes are toxic and pro-inflammatory, and lead to the release of cytokines involved in histamine release and other allergic responses. Once the aldehyde is trapped, the aldehyde complex is degraded and aldehyde levels are diminished, which potentially reduces toxicity and inflammation.
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A potential advantage of the aldehyde-trapping approach is that it is broad-based, with potential application to a broad array of inflammatory mechanisms.
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