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Opko Health acquires rights to clinical stage compound for dry eye
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MIAMI — Opko Health has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to ophthalmic uses of civamide, a topical clinical stage compound with potential as a treatment for dry eye, the company announced in a press release.
Civamide is a proprietary TRPV-1 receptor modulator and neuronal calcium channel blocker. An intranasal formulation of the compound is currently being evaluated in phase 3 clinical trials for treating various types of pain. In these trials, investigators observed increased tear production in more than 50% of patients receiving civamide and no systemic side effects, according to the release.
Preliminary evidence suggests that civamide's effects on tear production result from its ability to modify signal transduction pathways that are present in human lacrimal glands, the release said.
Terms of the acquisition agreement were not disclosed.