BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eye redness and irritation, itchiness and burning of the eye and the sensation of having a foreign body under the eyelid are the most common symptoms of Dry Eye disease, an increasingly common problem associated with environmental, behavioural and lifestyle factors which lead to decreased ocular lubrication.
Dry Eye disease is frequently underestimated but can have significant repercussions on patients’ eyesight, especially in its moderate and severe forms. This is a significant topic for the ophthalmological research community meeting in Barcelona at the 6th EuCornea Congress. The symposium, “Dry Eye disease: from pathogenic mechanism to innovative solutions,” promoted by the biopharmaceutical company Dompé, offers an opportunity to discuss the current landscape with leading international experts, highlight the most recent scientific discoveries into the origin of the condition, as well as reviews future treatment opportunities for the most serious forms of Dry Eye disease.
“Dry Eye disease is a multifactorial condition of the ocular surface and of the tear film that can cause damage to the surface of the eye,” explains Prof. José Manuel Benítez del Castillo Sánchez of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Jefe de Sección at Hospital Clinico San Carlos. “Tears defend and ensure constant lubrication of the eye. They provide nutrients and keep the eye healthy. A tear film disorder, which can be of a quantitative nature where there is a lack of the liquid component, or of a qualitative nature with a consequent alteration in tear composition, can cause a series of problems that, in the most severe cases, can be difficult to resolve.”
The state of health of the tear film is essential for guaranteeing not only ocular health, but also good sight.
“It is essential that ophthalmologists are able to use the treatment option that best meet the patient’s needs as, in certain cases, the treatments available do not achieve an adequate response,” said Prof. Leonardo Mastropasqua of the Università degli Studi G. D'Annunzio Chieti Pescara. “An appropriate diagnosis and specific approach must accompany targeted and efficacious therapy.”
Providing a response to the needs of patients with Dry Eye disease is a challenge that Dompé has accepted and is pursuing in the biotechnological research field.
“Research into innovative solutions for the unmet needs of patients with Dry Eye disease around the world is a key commitment for Dompé,” said Eugenio Aringhieri, Chief Executive Officer of Dompé. “We are in the final stages of development for lubricin, a glycoprotein naturally present in the body that we are investigating to determine the tear film protection and recovery mechanism in the treatment of Dry Eye disease. The development of this treatment demonstrates that research can open new therapeutic pathways that have been previously unexplored. We are continuing clinical trials with rhNGF, an investigational molecule of recombinant human Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), currently being evaluated for the treatment of eye diseases such as neurotrophic keratitis and retinitis pigmentosa. Results of an open-label clinical study exploring the compound’s safety and tolerability in patients with Dry Eye disease have recently become available and Dompé will soon initiate a multicentre Phase II study evaluating the safety and efficacy of rhNGF for the treatment of Dry Eye disease.”
About Dompé
For further information, please visit: www.dompe.com
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1 Dry Eye Syndrome, Epidemiology Forecast to 2022, EpiCast Reports, 2013 (data processed from Clegg et al., 2006; Lemp et al., 2008; Schaumberg et al., 2002; Shimmura et al., 1999)
