Breakthrough Therapy designation granted to investigational thyroid eye disease drug candidate

Viridian Therapeutics announced that it received a Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for veligrotug, a drug candidate for treatment of thyroid eye disease (TED). According to the company’s press release, this designation was granted based on the drug’s “consistent and robust improvement and resolution of diplopia in chronic TED, and [its] rapid onset of proptosis response.” The company completed two Phase 3 clinical trials that comprise the largest pivotal program for TED to date. In both trials, veligrotug met primary and secondary endpoints and was generally well-tolerated. The company plans to submit a BLA to the FDA in the second half of this year with a U.S. launch planned for 2026, if approved.

Back to top

Pilot study supports safety, efficacy of treatment for ocular surface pain

EyeCool Therapeutics announced positive clinical results from its double-masked, randomized pilot study evaluating an investigational device (ETX-4143) for treatment of chronic ocular surface pain. The study, which included 31 patients, showed a significant reduction in patient-reported ocular surface pain. ETX-4143 is designed, according to the company, to cool the ocular surface for 4 minutes, “targeting the myelinated long ciliary nerves responsible for pain.” The company reported that the nerves, in the months following treatment, regenerate myelin, which may require retreatment. The company plans to begin a U.S. pivotal trial after receiving approval from the FDA for an investigational device exemption.

Back to top

Data supports protection of retinal cells from new oral drug candidate

Cognition Therapeutics announced that it presented positive Phase 2 data that supports the protective effects of zervimesine (CT1812) on retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells from damage due to dry AMD. According to the company’s press release, this oral drug candidate binds to a sigma-2 receptor found on retina and brain cells, which regulates retinal cells’ ability to take in low-density lipoprotein (a process damaged in dry AMD). One presentation of this data showed that the drug reached therapeutic concentrations in the eye, and a second showed that the drug “may protect retinal cells from onslaught of oxidized lipids.” These lipids and other waste products coalesce forming drusen, which the company noted are thought to damage RPE cells, leading to the loss of these cells and eventually that of photoreceptors. An additional press release from the company reported more details from the Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial, which involved 100 people with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to dry AMD. It showed that people treated with zervimesine had a 28.6% slower GA lesion growth rate compared to people treated with placebo. The GA lesion area overall was also reduced by 28.2% over 18 months in the treatment group compared to placebo.

Back to top

Updates on twice-yearly anti-VEGF therapy for AMD

Valitor presented multiple preclinical datasets for its investigational, twice-yearly anti-VEGF therapy for treatment of wet AMD. According to the company’s press release, VLTR-559, a long-acting anti-VEGF therapy, was shown to have an intravitreal half-life 3x longer than the reported half-life of aflibercept. Its safety profile was consistent with other marketed anti-VEGF therapies, according to the company. VLTR-559 is based on the company’s multivalent polymer (MVP) technology, which couples biopolymers with bioactive polymers, allowing for “independent control of multiple drug attributes, including pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties, improved target engagement/tissue localization, therapeutic durability, and improved safety,” according to the company.

Back to top

Study: vitamins found neuroprotective in glaucoma

Research from the Karolinska Institutet, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, investigated the role of homocysteine in glaucoma pathogenesis. They found that homocysteine levels did not correlate with disease progression or glaucoma risk. From there, the researchers investigated metabolic pathways involving homocysteine, which they concluded is a bystander from the glaucoma disease process, and noticed metabolic changes in glaucoma models linked to retinal cells’ abilities to use certain vitamins, according to the institute’s press release on the study. They investigated whether supplementation of these vitamins could have protective effects on retinal cells, specifically B6, B9, B12, and choline. In mice with slower developing glaucoma that were given these supplements, the researchers saw that optic nerve damage halted. In rats with more progressive glaucoma given these supplements, the investigators saw progression slow down. In both experiments, eye pressure was untreated, suggesting that the supplements affect the disease process differently than lowering IOP. A clinical trial using this vitamin supplementation in humans began in Sweden.

Back to top

ASCRS news and events

• ASCRS Business of Refractive Cataract Surgery Summit: This course, taking place October 3–5, in Chicago, Illinois, along with its extensive, take-home resource library, will help practices gain the navigational tools needed to increase advanced-technology IOL adoption and lead patients effectively on their refractive surgery journey. Learn more.
• ASCRS Live!: This educational dinner series is heading to several cities across the U.S. in 2025. Registration is open for the next event in Chicago, Illinois, on June 12.
• New ASCRS Cornea Clinical Committee Webinar: “Antibody Drug Conjugates—An Emerging Class of Cancer Therapeutics Which Pose Risks to Corneal and Anterior Segment Health,” with moderators Naveen Rao, MD, and Winston Chamberlain, MD, along with speakers Kamran Riaz, MD, Stella Kim, MD, and Farooq Asim, MD, covers what antibody drug conjugates are, what they’re used for, complications and adverse reactions within the anterior segment associated with these drugs, and more.
• 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting: Hotel room blocks are now open for the 2026 ASCRS Annual Meeting, taking place in Washington, D.C., April 10–13, 2026.

Back to top

Research highlights

• The safety and refractive outcomes of performing a YAG capsulotomy on eyes with a Light Adjustable Lens (LAL, RxSight), before and after refractive treatments were locked in with the light delivery device, were evaluated in a private practice setting as part of a retrospective, comparative study published in the Journal of Cataract & Refractive Surgery. Of the 485 eyes that received an LAL from the practice between January 2020 and March 2023, 10 needed a YAG capsulotomy before the lock-in treatment was complete (Group 1), and 28 needed one after the lock-in treatment was completed (Group 2). According to the authors, postop CDVA significantly improved compared to preop values in both groups. Changes in sphere, cylinder, axis, spherical equivalent, and UDVA between preop and postop measurements were not statistically significant between the two groups. The authors found YAG to be safe and effective for patients who needed a posterior capsulotomy during the LAL adjustment period.
• The first known use of a combined decellularized Descemet’s membrane anterior keratoplasty with a penetrating keratoplasty in a pediatric patient was included as a case report in the journal Cornea. The case involved a 2-month-old male with bilateral sclerocornea. The patient’s left eye had just a PKP, which experienced a persistent epithelial defect, delaying epithelialization. In his right eye, the medical team performed a PKP combined with decellularized Descemet membrane corneal allograft, hoping to aid early postop healing. While the PKP in the left eye experienced a 1-month delay in epithelialization, the right eye with combined PKP and decellularized Descemet’s membrane was fully epithelialized in the first week postop, according to the paper. After 12 months, the grafts were clear and intact. The authors stated that “this case highlights the successful use of decellularized Descemet membrane anterior keratoplasty in preventing a persistent epithelial defect in the early postoperative period for a pediatric patient with sclerocornea. This may be a viable option for similar pediatric cases with delayed epithelial healing while promoting graft survival and minimizing the need for additional surgical interventions.”

Back to top

Product news

• New World Medical launched its enhanced STREAMLINE Surgical System, which features a transparent tip.

Back to top

---