A phase I clinical trial in Italy has shown recombinant human nerve growth factor (rhNGF) to be a potential treatment for dry eye disease (DED).
A total of 40 patients with moderate to severe, non-Sjögren’s dry eye were tested at the Sapienza University of Rome. Two groups of 20 each received rhNGF drops twice a day for four weeks, one at a 20µg/ml concentrate, the other a 4µg/ml. Both eyes were treated in all patients, with results only recorded for the more severely affected eye.
In the study, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, lead researcher Dr Marta Sacchetti reported, rhNGF eye drops at both 4μg/mL and 20μg/ml were effective in improving ocular surface damage and dry eye symptoms, so could lead to a much-needed new therapy for DED.
Randomised clinical trials are ongoing.
