Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ:EYPT) has been working on various goals. The primary one has been the development of innovative ophthalmic products for patients with serious eye disorders. The company has accomplished yet another milestone with its YUTIQ®, a treatment indicated as the treatment of chronic, non-infectious uveitis. This is a condition, which affects the posterior segment of the eye.
According to Nancy Lurker, the company’s CEO and President, the randomized Phase 3 trial of YUTIQ demonstrated positive and encouraging results. The study enrolled 129 patients across 16 centers in the US and another 17 centers outside the US. The data from the study was presented in two oral sessions and a virtual meeting at the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS).
The Key Product Features Were Valuable During the Global COVID-19 Pandemic
The current standard of care for uveitis is corticosteroids. However, the results from YUTIQ® demonstrate that it is likely to advance this standard care with a one-time administration of continuous dosing of fluocinolone acetonide. Its anti-inflammatory activity lasts for up to 36 months; hence, it will become a valuable treatment option.
Lurker points out that it will also come in handy during these crazy times of COVID-19, whereby the physician’s interaction with a patient’s face and eyes is limited. This is one of the many measures recommended to reduce the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
‘’We look forward to continuing to advance this innovative therapy within the greater ocular disease community on behalf of patients in need,” Lurker commented.
Chronic Non-infectious Uveitis Affects People of all Ages
The swelling caused by the non-infectious inflammatory disease destroys the eye tissues. This can result in severe vision loss and blindness. It is estimated that about 55,000 – 120,000 people of all ages suffer from this disease. Today, it is the third leading cause of blindness with an approximation of 30,000 cases of blindness in the US.
It is worth noting that the local steroid injections used to treat the condition can sometimes have serious side effects. However, this will no longer be the case once YUTIQ™ is approved. Meanwhile, EyePoint Pharmaceuticals says it has five other FDA-approved sustained-release treatments for eye diseases.
