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N-chlorotaurine shows in vitro potential against severe eye infection
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MIAMI — Opko Health and Pathogenics have released preclinical data demonstrating the potential therapeutic efficacy of ACU-NCT-001, a proprietary formulation of N-chlorotaurine, for treating Acanthamoeba keratitis, according to a joint press release from the companies.
Ursula Furnkranz, MD, and colleagues at the Medical University of Vienna and at Innsbruck Medical University, evaluated the microbicidal effect of N-chlorotaurine (NCT) on different strains of Acanthamoeba, including “both the free-living and difficult-to-treat cystic form,” the release said.
They published their results in the February issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.
In the in vitro models, NCT demonstrated amoebicidal activity at concentrations that may be well-tolerated in humans. Additionally, concomitant treatment with ammonium chloride improved NCT’s antiparasitic activity, including its activity against Acanthamoeba cysts.
“If the broad spectrum activity of NCT continues to be confirmed in clinical trials, its combination of tolerability and anti-infective efficacy could make it a potentially valuable new agent for addressing a variety of ocular infections,” Samuel Reich, executive vice president of Opko Ophthalmics, said in the release.
NCT is a sterile antimicrobial oxidant that naturally occurs in the body. Opko licensed exclusive worldwide development and commercialization rights to ACU-NCT-001 for ocular uses from Pathogenics, and it is currently developing NCT for treating viral conjunctivitis, the release said.