24-month pivotal data support efficacy of laser treatment for glaucoma

Bausch + Lomb announced 24-month results from its pivotal trial of the ELIOS System, a laser-based glaucoma treatment that currently has the CE Mark in Europe but is still under investigation in the U.S. The prospective, multicenter study that took place in the U.S. enrolled 318 patients with open-angle glaucoma who were taking IOP-lowering medications. The co-primary efficacy endpoints were percentage of patients achieving at least a 20% IOP reduction and overall mean IOP reduction. The company reported that the ELIOS system met both primary endpoints. It highlighted that unmedicated diurnal IOP was reduced by 20% or more in 76% of patients, and patients overall experienced a 7.4 mm Hg decrease in unmedicated diurnal IOP. Most patients (82%) were medication-free at 23 months. There were also no intraoperative complications, and the postop adverse event rate among patients who received treatment with the ELIOS system was similar to that of cataract surgery alone.

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Low-dose atropine drop meets primary, secondary endpoints in new data analysis

Sydnexis announced that new subgroup analysis was presented from its Phase 3 trial of SYD-101, 0.01%, a low-dose atropine drop developed with what the company described as novel features, including enhanced tissue permeability, shelf stability up to 3 years, and near-neutral pH. The most recent analysis from this trial showed that SYD-101, compared to vehicle, significantly reduced myopia progression across all timepoints with the primary endpoint met at 36 months in patients with confirmed myopia progression of –0.75 D or greater. The subgroup analysis also met the study’s key secondary endpoint of mean annual myopic progressive rate (APR), which was measured at 12, 24, and 36 months. The 36-month APR was –0.3 D/year in the group that received SYD-101 compared to –0.38 D/year in the group that received vehicle only. The study reported the greatest treatment effect in younger children compared to older, with those beginning treatment between 3–12 years old showing a myopia progression reduction of 47.9% at 12 months, 37.6% at 24 months, and 28.0% at 36 months. The company noted older participants age 13–14 showing “minimal progression” regardless of treatment. Treatment effect was also greatest in participants who had what was considered fast progression (>0.5 D/year) and a mild-to-moderate baseline of myopia (–0.5 D to –3.0 D); in this group, SYD-101 “reduced myopia progression by 76.3% at 12 months, 65.1% at 24 months, and 56.9% at 36 months versus vehicle –1.18 D; 0.01% –0.51 D (p=0.0004),” according to the company. The drop was well-tolerated without unexpected atropine-related adverse events. Commentary within the company’s press release about these results noted that the trial met its primary and secondary endpoints overall, but this new subgroup analysis “[provides] important context for understanding which children benefit most from SYD-101.” The company is in ongoing discussions with the FDA after it received a Complete Response Letter in October 2025 for its New Drug Application for SYD-101.

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Phase 2 topline data for modifier gene therapy for geographic atrophy

Ocugen announced positive 12-month data from its Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating OCU410, a modifier gene therapy for geographic atrophy secondary to dry AMD. The study saw a 31% reduction in lesion growth in the medium dose group compared to the control, as well as a 27% slower rate of ellipsoid zone loss compared to control. The latter indicates structural preservation of photoreceptors, the company noted. More than half (55%) of treated patients had a 30% or greater reduction in lesion size compared to those receiving the control. Subgroup analysis of participants with baseline lesions between ≥5 mm² and ≤17.5 mm² showed 33% reduction in growth compared to control in the medium dose OCU410 group, and similar reductions were seen in the high dose group. There were no serious treatment-related adverse events. According to the company’s press release, it plans to begin a Phase 3 registrational trial in the third quarter of this year.

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Phase 2 data from study evaluating neuropathic corneal pain shows quality of life improvement

OKYO Pharma announced additional exploratory analysis of data from its Phase 2a trial of urcosimod, 0.05%, for treatment of neuropathic corneal pain. The new analysis specifically looked at quality-of-life data, finding reductions in pain, improved patient-reported quality-of-life measures (such as improvement from baseline in things like “enjoying life/relationships with other people,” improvement in mood, and less time spent thinking about eye pain), and “signals suggesting potential restoration of corneal nerve structure.” The company is planning confirmatory studies to validate these results and a multicenter Phase 2b/3 trial.

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New shelf-stable corneal endothelial cell therapy program begins

Lineage Cell Therapies announced the launch of COR1, a corneal endothelial cell therapy program that’s currently in preclinical development within the company for treatment of corneal endothelial disease. The program will be based on the company’s AlloSCOPE (allogenic, scalable, consistent, off-the-shelf, pluripotent cell engineering) platform.

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ASCRS news and events

• 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting: Register now for the 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., April 10–13. View the Real-Time Program for the most up-to-date program information.
• SightLine at ASCRS: Connect, collaborate, and confront the challenges shaping the commercial landscape of ophthalmology at this meeting taking place Thursday, April 9 ahead of the ASCRS Annual Meeting. This meeting is for all commercial stakeholders in ophthalmology to learn about care delivery ideas that will forge a more sustainable financial future. Learn more.
• Business of Interventional Glaucoma: Surgeons and practice administrators alike are invited to the ASOA ASCRS Business of Interventional Glaucoma program, taking place Thursday, April 9 ahead of the ASCRS Annual Meeting and ASOA Annual Meeting. Learn more.
• EyeWorld Onsite for ASCRS 2026: Preview Annual Meeting lectures, read leadership interviews, and review key events with articles posted to EyeWorld Onsite. On April 9–13, keep up with timely and expanded live coverage from in and around ASCRS 2026 with EyeWorld Onsite, the official ASCRS news source for the Annual Meeting.

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Research highlights

• The real-world patient profiles and safety-related diagnoses of the first 10,000 eyes that received a dexamethasone intracanalicular insert (DEX) for treatment of ocular inflammation and pain after ocular surgery was reported in a retrospective cohort study based on IRIS Registry data. According to the study published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery, all eyes that received the DEX insert up to 2 days prior to cataract surgery or up to 7 days after cataract surgery were identified as the DEX+ group, while a control group that did not receive the DEX insert were identified as DEX–. There were 10,313 eyes in DEX+ and 425,098 in DEX–. According to the authors, eyes that had a prior history of ocular surface disease received DEX at a higher rate than those without such an OSD history. Nearly 25% of eyes in both DEX+ and DEX– had pre-existing glaucoma. Both cohorts experienced a less than 2% incidence of postop inflammatory events, corneal edema, and lacrimal disorders. Both groups showed a similar and low incidence of cystoid macular edema and epiphora. There was comparable incidence of IOP elevation of 10 mm Hg or more and similar mean change in IOP through postop month 1 in both groups. With these findings, the authors concluded that the “DEX intracanalicular insert may be considered as a suitable alternative treatment option to topical anti-inflammatory drops in patients undergoing cataract surgery.”
• The Phase 3 results from a study that compared safety and efficacy of a new preservative-free bimatoprost 0.01%/timolol 0.1% fixed combination (BTFC) eye gel to bimatoprost 0.03%/timolol 0.5% fixed combination ophthalmic solution drop in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension were compared in a study published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology. In the study, patients were originally on monotherapy, but IOP was not controlled, requiring a dual therapy. These patients were randomized to receive either the eye gel version or the drop version, each once daily, for 12 weeks. The mean ± standard deviation change in IOP at 8 a.m. from baseline to week 12 was −10.96±3.43 mm Hg for the eye gel group and −11.14±3.56 mm Hg for the eye drop group. The safety was similar between the two groups. No patients in the eye gel group discontinued treatment due to treatment-related adverse events, while 2.9% of patients in the eye drop group discontinued use. The authors concluded that the “low-concentration BTFC eye gel can be considered as a safe and effective treatment in the therapeutic management of glaucoma and OHT.”

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Product news

• Eyedaptic launched its next generation EYE7 as part of its Eyedaptic Visual Assistant Family, as a wearable, low-vision aid for patients with age-related macular degeneration and other retinal disorders that lead to central vision loss. The technology includes AI-based visual assistants.
• VirtuaLens, a virtual reality tool that allows patients to experience vision with different IOL options ahead of cataract surgery, announced a new Monovision Simulation feature.

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