Optifye Therapeutics has struck a deal with DelSiTech for controlled-release dexamethasone eye drops. The exclusive license agreement covers a candidate that uses DelSiTech Silica Matrix technology to cut the number of times a day patients need to administer the eye drops.
Physicians prescribe dexamethasone eye drops to treat eye inflammation triggered by a range of causes such as allergy, injury and surgery. However, with patients needing to apply the drops four to 10 times a day, compliance with the treatment is poor, limiting the effectiveness of the intervention. DelSiTech has applied its controlled-release technology to the problem.
The technology consists of a silica matrix into which a drug molecule is embedded. After administration, the matrix biodegrades to gradually release the drug molecule and provide a sustained effect on the patient.
DelSiTech claims the technology can control the release of an active substance “over periods of days up to many months or a year.” The aim with the dexamethasone program is to create a product that is used once a day under the eyelid, thereby freeing patients from the need to administer repeated doses each day. That prospect has caught the attention of Swiss pharma company Optifye.
“We foresee a new era for eye drop treatments owing to significant technological advancements, which excitingly are applicable to most in use active ingredients in ophthalmology. We look forward to drawing to a close an era of inefficient and frequent dosing, while enhancing relief for patients,” Janos Vaczi, managing director of Optifye, said in a statement.
The agreement marks the first time Optifye, a company founded last year, has been in the news. Hanumantha Rao Kamma, the chief strategy officer at Extrovis, co-founded Optifye.