Health · Pharma & Biotech · 10 hrs ago
Experimental eye drops improve vision in a small study of a rare eye disease
Claris Biotherapeutics reported results from a study of CSB-001, experimental eye drops for limbal stem cell deficiency, or LSCD.
The rare disease damages the eye’s surface and can cause severe vision loss or blindness, and there are no approved drug treatments for it.
The open-label study followed 49 affected eyes in 39 people for 20 weeks; 29 eyes received the drops and 20 were untreated controls.
By Week 20, about 41% of treated eyes gained at least 15 letters on a vision test, compared with none of the untreated eyes.
About 55% of treated eyes gained at least 10 letters, compared with 5% of controls.
Some gains lasted for 16 weeks after treatment ended, and the company said the drops were generally safe and well tolerated.
The findings are early study results, and Claris plans to begin two larger pivotal studies in the first half of 2027.
Claris Biotherapeutics reported that experimental eye drops improved vision in many treated eyes in a small study of limbal stem cell deficiency.
At Week 20, 41.4% of treated eyes gained at least 15 letters on a visual acuity test, compared with none of the untreated eyes.
The study followed 49 eyes from 39 people and compared 29 treated eyes with 20 untreated eyes.
The company said some visual gains persisted for 16 weeks after treatment ended.
Claris plans to start two pivotal studies in the first half of 2027.
- Who
- Claris Biotherapeutics reported the results. The study included people with limbal stem cell deficiency.
- What
- The company reported visual acuity improvements with CSB-001 eye drops in an open-label proof-of-concept study.
- When
- The data were presented on October 11, 2026.
- Where
- The data were presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.
- Why
- The study evaluated CSB-001 as a potential treatment for limbal stem cell deficiency, for which no approved drug therapy exists.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
What is particularly compelling about these data is not only the magnitude of the visual acuity improvements observed, but their persistence beyond the end of treatment
People with LSCD have no approved pharmacologic treatment options and live with the risk of blindness.
Treated eyes received CSB-001 four times daily in two eight-week periods separated by a one-month dosing holiday.
Claris presented the study data at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.
Some treated eyes maintained visual acuity improvements recorded at Week 20.
Claris plans to initiate two pivotal studies of CSB-001.
- Study size
- 49 eyes from 39 subjects
- Treatment group
- 29 eyes from 23 subjects received CSB-001
- Untreated control group
- 20 eyes from 16 subjects
- Gained at least 15 letters at Week 20
- 41.4% of treated eyes; 0% of untreated eyes
- Gained at least 10 letters at Week 20
- 55.2% of treated eyes; 5% of untreated eyes
- Planned pivotal studies
- First half of 2027
Sources
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