Topical cenegermin induces sustained epithelial healing in eyes with neurotrophic keratopathy
Olivia Lee, MD, professor at University of California Irvine Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, spoke with Ophthalmology 360 at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery Annual Meeting about a study that found cenegermin improves corneal sensation and corneal nerve regeneration in the first 8 weeks of treatment.
Olivia Lee, MD:
Our study looked at patients that I treated with neurotrophic keratitis with Oxervate and followed these patients long-term over a 12 month period of time. I included patients with macular stages 1, 2, and 3 without any prior corneal surgery.
Our findings showed that the greatest improvement in corneal sensation and corneal nerve regeneration happens in the first 8 weeks. In other words, during the course of treatment. That improvement plateaus but remains the same and is sustained till the 12-month mark. Of our 28 patients that we followed for 12 months, we saw a statistically significant improvement in corneal sensation as measured by Cochet-Bonnet, as well as corneal nerve density, epithelial cell density by in vivo confocal microscopy over the 12-month period of time.
It means that you treat the patient with 1 course of Oxervate, if they improve during that course, you can expect that that improvement is sustained over a 1-year period of time as compared to baseline.
