Sylentis presents clinical study results of new treatment for dry eye syndrome

May 3 2018

Sylentis, Pharmaceutical Company belonging to the PharmaMar Group, has presented results from the clinical studies carried out with tivanisiran for the treatment of dry eye syndrome and that has enabled the start-up of the Phase III "Helix" clinical trial. The presentation has taken place within the framework of the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) that has been held from the 29th of April to the 3rd of May in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The purpose if this meeting is to share the latest breakthroughs in research in the area of ophthalmology, to contribute to the progress in basic science and also in cutting-edge clinical research. In this context, Sylentis has participated at this event presenting the pre-clinical and clinical results of various compounds that are being developed for the treatment of ocular disorders. Among these, the abstract "Tivanisiran a new treatment for Dry Eye Disease, that improved signs and symptoms in clinical trials" (Posterboard number: 925 - B0103) is highlighted, the compound improving the ocular inflammatory parameters, tear quality and a reduction in ocular pain associated with dry eye disease is also underlined1.

The novel mechanism of action of tivanisiran, based on genetic silencing through RNA interference (RNAi), is targeted at the treatment of the signs and symptoms of this pathology, making it a firm candidate for the treatment of dry eye disease.

According to Ana Isabel Jiménez, Director of R&D at Sylentis, "we trust in our technology, innovative in this field, and we hope that tivanisiran will soon become a real alternative for the treatment of millions of people that suffer dry eye disease around the world."

In this respect, Jiménez points out that "this is a significant step forward in the development of innovative drugs in different therapeutic areas through a novel technology of genetic silencing based on the RNA."

Sylentis is a pioneer in RNAi research, and is one of the few in Europe that applies this technology to the field of ophthalmology. It also continues with its research on new therapies for ophthalmological and inflammatory illnesses.

It must be empathized that this pathology affects more than 5 million in Spain, between 10% and 20% of the population, mostly women, and almost 100% of these being elderly. In this context, the phase III "Helix" study is being carried out in more than 30 hospitals in Spain, Germany, Estonia, Portugal, Slovakia and Italy, in 300 patients to evaluate the efficacy of this compound in the treatment of the sign and symptoms of dry eye syndrome.