EyeWorld Weekly, May 28, 2021

EyeWorld Weekly, May 28, 2021

EyeWorld Weekly

May 28, 2021 • Volume 27, Number 21

Positive topline results in Phase 3 study for temporary presbyopia therapy

Eyenovia announced positive topline results for the Phase 3 VISION-1 study evaluating its temporary therapy intended to improve presbyopia symptoms. The study evaluated safety and efficacy of two doses (1% and 2%) of MicroLine, a pilocarpine formulation that uses the company’s microarray print (MAP) technology, administered with the company’s Optejet dispenser. A statistically significant proportion of patients treated with MicroLine had a three-line or more improvement in distance-corrected near visual acuity vs. placebo in low light 2 hours after treatment. According to the company’s press release, a post-study survey revealed 70% of participants would be interested in using MicroLine for presbyopia correction if it were approved. A second Phase 2 registration study to serve as the basis for a New Drug Application is underway, according to the company.

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Study: New therapy for ocular infections

Researchers at Wayne State University School of Medicine discovered a metabolite that is involved in protecting the eye from inflammation during infection, which, according to a press release, could be developed as a possible adjunct therapy. The metabolite is itaconate, a product of cellular metabolism that, when deficient, can increase propensity for ocular infection. The study published in Cell Reports Medicine, however, noted that intraocular administration of itaconate in mice was protective against bacterial endophthalmitis and reduced inflammation. The study authors stated that this research suggests itaconate could be used alongside antibiotics to treat ocular bacterial infections.

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Analysis of more than half a million cataract surgeries yields PCO insights

Analysis put forth by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists from its National Ophthalmology Database Cataract Audit dataset found what the organization’s press release called considerable opportunity to reduce PCO and cost. The analysis included more than 600,000 cataract surgeries from 58 centers and showed significant variation in PCO rates between centers and different IOL materials and designs. According to the press release, there was a strong association of centers with IOL models and a lot of variation in PCO rates between centers, which the organization stated creates uncertainty about the source of variation in PCO rates. They advised that centers compare PCO rates of different IOLs used to identify those that might be at lower risk for developing PCO.

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Patients blinded from AMD benefit from visual prosthetic

Samsara Vision announced the first patients to receive its smaller-incision new-generation implantable miniature telescope (SING IMT). The patients were blind from late-stage AMD with the implant inserted into one of their affected eyes. According to the company’s press release, the implant procedure takes about 30 minutes. SING IMT, which is not commercially available, is indicated for patients who have a BCVA of 20/80 to 20/800 from bilateral central scotomas associated with late-stage AMD. The implant is designed to enlarge central vision images over a wider area of the retina in one eye, while the patient’s other eye provides peripheral vision, according to the company.

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New company focuses on refractive pharmaceutical treatments

Nevakar announced the creation of Vyluma, a new company that’s a wholly owned subsidiary of Nevakar that will focus on therapies for ophthalmic diseases, especially refractive error. According to the Nevakar press release, Vyluma has a lead product candidate (NVK002) in Phase 3 clinical development as a possible pharmaceutical therapy to slow myopia progression.

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ASCRS events

  • The “skip-the-line” deadline for the 2021 ASCRS Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 23–27, is June 1. If you want your badge mailed to you, register and select the mailing option by this date.
  • The Real-Time Program for the ASCRS and ASOA Annual Meetings is now available.

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Research highlights

  • Visual and tomographic outcomes of epi-on and epi-off crosslinking in an accelerated protocol were evaluated in a study published in the journal Cornea. The study enrolled 61 patients with progressive keratoconus, 27 of whom had epi-off crosslinking and 34 of whom had epi-on. At baseline there was no difference in the visual and tomographic characteristics between the groups. Overall, no significant differences were seen in uncorrected or best spectacle-corrected visual acuity between the groups at the 3, 6, and 12-month follow-up points. There were also no differences in the thickness and keratometric parameters at these timepoints. The researchers observed thinning of the central cornea in both groups at 3 months, but it was recovered by 6 months. There was not a significant difference between the groups in continued keratoconus progression 12 months after treatment.
  • A new technique to protect the corneal endothelium during phacoemulsification of brunescent cataracts was described in a paper published in the journal Clinical Ophthalmology. The authors described a prospective study that included 48 eyes of 44 patients with 4+ opalescent cataracts. The authors used the “chopper shield” technique, in which the chopper was held horizontally like a shield anterior to the nuclear fragment that was being phacoed. This, the authors described, prevented nuclear fragments from coming up and hitting the corneal endothelium. According to the paper, this technique minimized endothelial cell loss during phacoemulsification for these dense cataracts.

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This issue of EyeWorld Weekly was edited by Stacy Jablonski and Liz Hillman.

EyeWorld Weekly (ISSN 1089-0319), a digital publication of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), is published every Friday, distributed by email, and posted live on Friday.

Medical Editors: Eric Donnenfeld, MD, Chief Medical Editor; Rosa Braga-Mele, MD, Cataract Editor; Clara Chan, MD, Cornea Editor; Nathan Radcliffe, MD, Glaucoma Editor; and Vance Thompson, MD, Refractive Editor

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