Initial results positive in punctum plug study

Positive initial results were seen in a feasibility study of a sustained-release travoprost-loaded punctum plug, according to an Ocular Therapeutix news release.

The study included 26 eyes of 17 patients. The plug, OTX-TP1, was analyzed for reduction of elevated IOP in subjects with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma over a 30-day period.

Mean baseline IOP was 26.3 mm Hg. At day 30, mean reduction from baseline was 6.5 mm Hg (24.7%), the release said.

The plug is designed to absorb in 4 to 6 weeks, according to the release. At day 30, 88% of the plugs remained, and those in the nasolacrimal canal were flushed.

“Sustained-release therapy could be advantageous to elderly patients who have difficulty administering drops, could help alleviate issues of noncompliance, and may be beneficial to anyone diagnosed with glaucoma who would prefer a life without the inconvenience of taking drops every day,” Shamira Perera, MD, principal investigator at the Singapore National Eye Center, said in the release.

Ocular Therapeutix is planning phase 2 trials of the plugs for 60-day therapy later this year, the release said.