Eye Drops to Replace Injections for Retinal Diseases
Highlights:
- A new eye drop that may replace injections for retinal diseases has been developed.
- This novel drug is called Sylentis SYL136001v10.
- It can enter the cells of the retina and blocks the formation of new blood vessels by intravitreal drops.
A compound to treat diseases of the retina that can be administered by ophthalmic drops instead of intraocular injections has been developed by the Spanish firm Sylentis.
This new drug may be used as effective eye-drops for age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
‘The drug enters the cells of the retina, where it blocks the formation of new vessels, which is one of the fundamental characteristics of degenerative diseases of the retina.’
The drug SYL136001v10, presented by the PharmaMar group company, is still in the preclinical phase. "Its effectiveness has been proven in animal models and trials with humans will begin at the end of 2018", said Covadonga Pa�eda, Manager at Sylentis.
Objective - to control the formation of new blood vessels in the retina
Pa�eda goes on to explain that this compound "is a small interfering RNA (siRNA) designed to silence the expression of NRARP, a protein that controls the formation of new blood vessels in the retina".
In this way, she says, "the drug exerts its action by entering the cells of the retina, where it prevents the synthesis of this protein and blocks the formation of new vessels, which is one of the fundamental characteristics of degenerative diseases of the retina".
The compounds currently used to treat these diseases are based on large antibodies that cannot penetrate from the ocular surface to the retina, so they must be administered by intravitreal injections.
Therefore, "patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy have to go to the hospital where the treatments are performed with ocular injections, which is annoying and painful, and also involves a significant financial investment for the health system", says Covadonga Pa�eda.
Efficacy in animal models
However, she notes, "siRNA, like SYL136001v10, are up to 10 times smaller than these treatments. Their size allows them to penetrate the retina and inhibit the formation of new blood vessels after their application in ophthalmic drops, as we have shown in animal models".
In particular, "efficacy studies have shown that the reduction of NRARP in the retina by means of siRNA leads to the regression of angiogenic retinal lesions and that the observed reductions are equivalent to those of anti-VEGF, which is the current treatment standard for these diseases with ocular injections", stresses the R&D manager.
The firm, located in Tres Cantos (Madrid), plans to take charge of the first clinical efficacy studies. Once the proof of concept in humans has been demonstrated, it will try to license the drug to a multinational.
Reference:
- A Drug to Treat Retinal Diseases with Drops Instead of Injections - (http://www.agenciasinc.es/en/News/A-drug-to-treat-retinal-diseases-with-drops-instead-of-injections)
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APA
Chrisy Ngilneii. (2017, December 15). Eye Drops to Replace Injections for Retinal Diseases. Medindia. Retrieved on Apr 28, 2024 from https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/eye-drops-to-replace-injections-for-retinal-diseases-175502-1.htm.
MLA
Chrisy Ngilneii. "Eye Drops to Replace Injections for Retinal Diseases". Medindia. Apr 28, 2024. <https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/eye-drops-to-replace-injections-for-retinal-diseases-175502-1.htm>.
Chicago
Chrisy Ngilneii. "Eye Drops to Replace Injections for Retinal Diseases". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/eye-drops-to-replace-injections-for-retinal-diseases-175502-1.htm. (accessed Apr 28, 2024).
Harvard
Chrisy Ngilneii. 2017. Eye Drops to Replace Injections for Retinal Diseases. Medindia, viewed Apr 28, 2024, https://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/eye-drops-to-replace-injections-for-retinal-diseases-175502-1.htm.
Source: Eurekalert
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