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Sustained-release bimatoprost implant shows safety, efficacy in early study

Key Takeaways

  • A sustained-release bimatoprost drug delivery platform was safe and effective in the treatment of ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma, according to an early study.
  • The study authors say that the new platform has the potential to become a valuable option for managing ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma in eyes requiring cataract extraction.

Bimatoprost is used as an eye drop to treat open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension (a condition which causes increased pressure in the eye). It lowers pressure in the eye by increasing the flow of natural eye fluids out of the eye. A sustained-release bimatoprost drug delivery platform shows promise in the treatment of ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma, according to a poster at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting.

Gregory J. Katz, MDABO, and co-authors presented 12-month interim safety and efficacy data from a first-in-human study in which 23 eyes were implanted with the SpyGlass Pharma IOL-based drug delivery platform with bimatoprost at the time of cataract surgery. (An IOL, or intraocular lens, is used to replace a cloudy natural lens during cataract surgery.) A statistically significant intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction was achieved at all timepoints. Mean IOP decreased from 25.1 mm Hg at baseline to 13.9 mm Hg at 12 months. No additional IOP-lowering medication was required. All eyes achieved best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better, with minimal adverse events that were unrelated to the drug delivery device. 

This method of administering medication has the potential to become a valuable option for managing ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma in eyes requiring cataract extraction, according to the study authors. SpyGlass is currently enrolling patients in a phase 1/2 study with a larger patient pool and is working with the FDA to advance the program to commercial approval. For more information about this trial, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06120842 or contact Chris Hafner at 1-818-442-1564 or chris@spyglasspharma.com.

Edited by Miriam Kaplan, PhD

Source: Michela Cimberle, Healio Ocular Surgery News, April 22, 2024; see source article