This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Aganirsen eye drops safe, well tolerated in patients with keratitis
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Aganirsen eye drops demonstrated significant benefits among patients with keratitis, as well as in patients with viral keratitis and central neovascularization, according to the results of a recent study.
The multicenter, double-masked, phase 3 study included 69 patients with keratitis-related progressive corneal neovascularization who were randomized to use either aganirsen drops (86 µg/day/eye) or placebo twice per day for 90 days. Patients were then followed for up to 180 days.
There were no significant differences in visual acuity between aganirsen patients and placebo patients at 90 days, according to the researchers; however, patients in the aganirsen group had a significant drop in the relative corneal neovascularization area after 90 days (26.2%; P = .014). The researchers noted a continued improvement of 26.67% after 180 days (P = .012).
By day 180, patients with viral keratitis and central neovascularization who used aganirsen showed a significant decrease in the need for transplantation compared with patients who used placebo (P = .048). Additionally, although there were no significant differences between the treatment groups with regard to graft rejection risk, use of aganirsen drops tended to decrease said risk by day 90, according to the researchers.
“Further studies focusing on these patients are necessary to support and confirm the novel concept in which the need for corneal transplantation could be decreased by adding an anti-angiogenic therapy to conventional antiviral therapy in herpetic keratitis,” the researchers concluded.
Disclosure: Cursiefen, Ferry and Geudelin are consultants for Gene Signal SAS. Lévy is from Advanced Drug & Device Services SAS and is consultant for Gene Signal. Ferry is from Laboratoires CTRS. Viaud, Al Mahwood, Colin and Thorin are employees of Gene Signal.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts