Novaliq Announces First Patient Enrolled in Its SEECASE Phase II Trial of NOV03 for the Treatment of Dry Eye Disease

HEIDELBERG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Novaliq GmbH, a specialty pharmaceutical company with a disruptive drug delivery platform that transforms poorly soluble drugs into effective therapeutics for ophthalmology, today announced that it has begun randomization of patients in its SEECASE Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of dry eye disease (DED).

DED is a multifactorial and complex disease of the ocular surface. At the air-water interface, the tear film lipid layer (TFLL), which consists of a mixture of lipids and proteins, plays a key role in tear surface tension and is important for the physiological hydration of the ocular surface and for ocular homeostasis¹.

The TFLL is impaired in patients with evaporative dry eye caused by Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Currently, treatment options for these patients are limited. NOV03 is designed to immediately stabilize the lipid layer, thereby preventing excessive evaporation of the lipid layer. As NOV03 further penetrates the Meibomian glands, it potentially dissolves Meibomian lipids and eventually helps to improve Meibomian gland functionality. NOV03 may become the first non-blurring, water and surfactant-free treatment to address the medical needs of these patients.

Novaliq’s SEECASE clinical trial (NCT 03333057) is a phase 2, multi-center, randomized, double-masked, saline-controlled study to evaluate the effect of NOV03 at two different dosing regimens on signs and symptoms of DED. NOV03 will be studied in two dosing regimens, two and four instillations per day.

“I’m pleased to be participating in this important study which has the potential to benefit the approximately 16 million diagnosed U.S. Americans who suffer from dry eye disease¹,” said Joseph Tauber, MD, and practicing ophthalmologist at Tauber Eye Center, Kansas City, MO. “The tear film’s lipid layer is frequently impaired in patients with evaporative dry eye and MGD. A curative therapeutic option that addresses the tear film and is free of water, surfactants, and preservatives, would be greatly welcomed and provide real clinical value to patients and doctors alike.”

“The initiation of this phase 2 U.S. trial represents another significant clinical milestone that advances our clinical dry eye program, and moves us a step closer to bringing novel dry eye treatments to market that meet unmet needs,” says Sonja Krösser, PhD, VP Clinical Development at Novaliq GmbH. “Earlier studies have demonstrated a highly favorable safety and efficacy profile in patients with DED, particularly for evaporative DED and MGD. We are optimistic that we will see similar outcomes in the SEECASE Phase 2 trial.”

About Novaliq – Founded in 2007, Novaliq GmbH is a Heidelberg-based specialty pharmaceutical company focused on ophthalmology. Its mission is to transform poorly soluble drugs into effective ocular therapeutics for both the front and the back of the eye. Novaliq’s proprietary EyeSol® technology enhances the topical bio-availability, stability and safety of traditionally insoluble or unstable drugs improving the delivery, efficacy and convenience of treatments for ocular surface diseases, including dry eye through preservative-free and multi-dose formulations. Novaliq has developed a tiered and long-term sustainable dry eye family of truly differentiated products that addresses the different needs of dry eye patients. The company’s most advanced products are NovaTears® with CE-approval marketed under the brand name EvoTears® in Europe, and NovaTears®+Omega-3, which was just recently CE-approved in Europe. CyclASol®, a second-generation prescription drug, is currently in pivotal phase of clinical development. More on www.novaliq.com.

Source:

1. Garrigue Jean-Sébastien, Amrane Mourad, Faure Marie-Odile, Holopainen Juha M., and Tong Louis. Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics. November 2017, 33(9): 647-661. https://doi.org/10.1089/jop.2017.0052]

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