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Cardiovascular drug may treat pterygium, dry eye symptoms
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The MedInsight Research Institute and Center for Drug Repurposing at Ariel University presented positive user-reported outcomes of the off-label drug dipyridamole in treating pterygium and related dry eye symptoms at the Israeli Society for Vision and Eye Research conference on March 10.
Persantine (dipyridamole, Boehringer Ingelheim) is a cardiovascular drug that for the past 55 years has treated angina and prevented strokes, according to the press release.
For the past 40 years, research has explored its use in diabetic retinopathy, ocular hypertension and retinal hemorrhage.
According to the release, in 2014 MedInsight published the first case report of a pterygium patient successfully treated with dipyridamole eye drops.
In the findings presented at the Israeli Society for Vision and Eye Research, researchers analyzed outcomes of dry eye symptoms in patients with pterygium.
Researchers utilized the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and found that there was a maximum reduction in OSDI scores averaging 52.4% during the course of treatment for 25 patients, according to the release. Certain patients reported a complete resolution of symptoms.
Studies are currently being planned in Israel, Europe, Turkey and India, according to MedInsight.
MedInsight Research Institute is a U.S./U.K.-based non-profit established in 2006 that researches and indexes available off-label (repurposed) treatments for cancer and chronic diseases.