CyteSolutions Lens, is a contact lens-based platform that makes use of a special coating that allows for a slower, sustained delivery of immune-modifying drug only when in contact with the ocular surface.
Description
Dry eye is a debilitating condition characterized by severe irritation and damage to the eyes. It is estimated that up to 1 in 3 people will suffer from dry eye, creating a market that is projected to hit over $7 billion dollars by 2025. Currently, the only FDA approved prescription for dry eye is eye drop treatments; these treatments have limited efficacy and necessitate the use of eye drops numerous times a day, resulting in difficulties with patient compliance. With any eye drop formulation, product loss is a huge issue; the therapeutic component falls out of the eye or drains away from the eye through tear ducts, and what remains is only in contact with the ocular surface for a very short amount of time. This makes the product less effective and is one of the reasons why repeated, frequent application is necessary.
Developed at the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine in conjunction with clinical experts from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Eye & Ear Institute, the CyteSolutions Lens is a soft lens-based therapy and features use of a low-dose, sustained, locally releasing drug, providing convenient application with a familiar modality and long-term relief of symptoms. The CyteSolutions Lens releases a drug targeting a novel underlying pathway of dry eye inflammation not previously targeted in currently available therapies. Unlike competitors such as Restasis®, Cequa™, Xiidra®, and over the counter tear substitute eye drops, our therapy can be applied infrequently and overnight, with potential to provide days-long relief. Laboratory in-vitro tests have also shown ability of the CyteSolutions Lens to release the active ingredient for days, reducing frequency of treatment and creating longer lasting symptom relief.
Applications
· Treatment and management of the symptoms of dry eye
· Drug release platform can be extended to include other drugs for additional applications such as release of therapeutics for the prevention of infection after surgery and release of therapeutics for the treatment of glaucoma
Advantages
· Sustained release over days
· Effective local drug release using optimal amount of drug
· Use of natural and safe biomaterials
· Targets inflammation at earlier stages than current therapies
· Less product loss
· Familiar modality
· Potential for overnight use
· Lower frequency of use (relative to frequent use of eye drops)
· By targeting inflammation at earlier stages than current therapies, CyteSolutions has the potential to change the underlying course of the disease, providing for long-term relief of symptoms.
Invention Readiness
In vivo data
IP Status
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2020185689A1
