What in the ophthalmic field is your team most excited about right now?
Our teams are most excited about the future innovation for patients with hard- to-treat conditions. Our team this year is highly focused on starting and executing 8 clinical trials, both Phase 4 and Phase 2-3 programs. This is the first step to developing clinical programs to solve key scientific gaps. Like we have done in the past, we took a rare disease that not many companies had thought about, but we knew there was a great patient need. The FDA granted rhNGF “Breakthrough Therapy Designation” and, during the registration process, conferred it a “Fast Track” and “Priority Review” status. We hope to continue this again in other areas of high unmet medical need.
In what area of ophthalmology do you think your team can make a unique impact?
At Dompé our research team has spent decades unveiling the potential applications of neurotrophins. There are four characterized neurotrophins – nerve growth factor (NGF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin 3 and 4 (NT-3/4). With the understanding that NGF and BDNF receptors are expressed throughout the body, including the anterior and posterior segments, NGF is critical for differentiation, growth, and maintenance of neurons. Recent literature shows that neurosensory abnormalities can underlie many conditions affecting the anterior segment. We believe our teams can make a unique impact utilizing this knowledge, developing trials that maypotentially lead to commercialization of novel therapies to to treat ophthalmic conditions with high unmet need.
What does pursuing excellence look like for your team?
Dompé is a privately held international company founded over 130 years ago, it’s family owned and has been for several generations. This allows Dompé to focus on science and reinvesting in R&D without barriers. Excellence for Dompé has and will always be deeply embedded in putting patients first and embracing the challenge of science.
Our focus will continue to be reinvesting a significant amount of profit back into finding solutions for patients with high unmet medical needs within ophthalmics.
References:
Bonini S, Lambiase A, Rama P, et al; Phase II Randomized, Double-Masked, Vehicle- Controlled Trial of Recombinant Human Nerve Growth Factor for Neurotrophic Keratitis. Ophthalmology. 2018 Sep;125(9):1332-1343.
Pflugfelder SC, Massaro-Giordano M, Perez VL, et al. Topical Recombinant Human Nerve Growth Factor (Cenegermin) for Neurotrophic Keratopathy: A Multicenter Randomized Vehicle-Controlled Pivotal Trial. Ophthalmology. 2020;127(1):14-26
L Mastropasqua et al., “Understanding the Pathogenesis of Neurotrophic Keratitis: The Role of Corneal Nerves,” J Cell Physiol, 232, 717, (2017) PMID 27683068.
Please also see the Prescribing Information for complete information on the approved label indication and Important Safety Information (bit. ly/OXERVATE_Prescribing_Information)
The intent of this material is to provide non-promotional corporate awareness for Dompé R&D platforms
