EyeWorld is the official news magazine of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgery.
Issue link: https://digital.eyeworld.org/i/119916
48 EW FEATURE February 2011 Dry eye/ocular surface April 2013 Promising continued from page 47 which play a role in mucin production." The compound has completed a phase 2 study for dry eye and a phase 1 study for retinal disorders, according to the company, which has licensed the product to Celtic Pharma (Hamilton, Bermuda). Nanotechnologies According to Dr. Lindstrom, nanotechnology is a novel method that encapsulates a drug with surface coatings that dramatically improve drug penetration and retention in mucosal tissues. Kala Pharmaceuticals (Waltham, Mass.) uses nanotechnology to rapidly penetrate the mucosal barrier and then spread a coating layer of the drug on the surface, he said. The primary drug candidate for dry eye is loteprednol, Dr. Lindstrom said, a unique ester steroid that's coming off patent for Bausch + Lomb (Rochester, N.Y.) in the near future. Another company, Mimetogen (Montreal), is developing a family of small molecule tyrosine kinase receptor agonists that are powerful mucin secretagogues, the company notes. "MIM-D3 stimulated the mucin MUC 5AC secretion from conjuncti- The power of one The val goblet cells," Dr. Pepose said. "It's based on an analog of nerve growth factor, which we've thought has potential for dry eye for years." Dr. Donnenfeld said the dual mechanism of action used to treat dry eye is what intrigued him about MIM-D3. "Both these mechanisms of action are completely different from cyclosporine, so there may be a day when we use combination therapy to treat the disorder," he said. MIM-D3 has the potential to "work more for evaporative dry eye since that can be a mucin issue. It has shown efficacy in both signs and symptoms," Dr. de Luise said. "The dosing schedule is twice daily, and it's an eye drop that seems to work as early as the first three to four weeks." If the drug proves to have the "greater bioavailability to penetrate corneal epithelial cells, give a prolonged duration of action, and with less blurring, we'll have a fantastic product," Dr. Latkany said. EW Editors' note: Dr. de Luise has no financial interests related to this article. Dr. Donnenfeld has financial interests with Allergan (Irvine, Calif.), Bausch + Lomb, Kala Pharmaceuticals, Mimetogen, and SARcode. Dr. Latkany has financial interests with SARcode. Dr. Lindstrom has financial interests with Alcon (Fort Worth, Texas), Abbott Medical Optics (Santa Ana, Calif.), Bausch + Lomb, InSite Vision (Alameda, Calif.), and Kala Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Pepose has financial interests with Mimetogen, Allergan, Bausch + Lomb, SARcode, TearLab (San Diego), and TearScience (Morrisville, N.C.). Contact information THE ONE FEMTO PLATFORM FE MTO PLATFORM AT for cornea, presbyopia for cornea, presbyopia and cataract. cataract. Presenting the unparalleled Ziemer FEMTO LDV Z Models – a technical revolution in ocular surgery. No laser is more precise, more powerful or more progressive when it comes to meeting all your procedural needs in a single platform. Ziemer's With Ziemer's FEMTO LDV Z Models, now you can operate with a modular femtosecond system that is easy to configure, designed to grow with your practice – cornea tomorrow. and presbyopia today, cataract tomorrow. www.ziemergroup.com www.ziemergroup.com availability The Ziemer FEMTO LDV Z Models are FDA cleared and CE marked and available for immediate delivery. For some countries, availability may be restricted due to local regulatory requirements; please contact Ziemer for details. The creation of a corneal pocket is manufacturers part of a presbyopia intervention. Availability of related corneal inlays and implants according to policy of the individual manufacturers and regulatory status in the individual countries. Cataract procedures with the FEMTO LDV Z2, Z4 and Z6 models are not cleared in the United States and in all other countries. An upgrade possibility for these devices is planned once cataract options are available and cleared by the responsible regulatory bodies. de Luise: 203-232-9028, vdeluisemd@gmail.com Donnenfeld: 516-446-3525, ericdonnenfeld@gmail.com Latkany: 212-689-2020, relief@dryeyedoctor.com Lindstrom: 952-567-6051, rllindstrom@mneye.com Pepose: 636-728-0111, jpepose@peposevision.com