A Water-free 0.1% Cyclosporine A Solution for Treatment of Dry Eye Disease: Results of the Randomized Phase 2B/3 ESSENCE Study

The evolution of cyclosporine treatments for treatment of ocular surface diseases

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cyclosporine is a versatile immunomodulatory drug commonly employed in modern medicine. Although cyclosporine was initially used to prevent solid organ transplant rejection, its indications have extended to treat many inflammatory or autoimmune diseases. Cyclosporin is available for use in oral, intravenous, and topical forms, including eye drops to treat corneal and ocular surface conditions. It is naturally advantageous to administer cyclosporin directly into the eye, avoiding potential and dose limiting systemic adverse effects. However, the transition from systemic to topical administration has been a challenging one. This report reviews the evolution of ophthalmic cyclosporine treatment and explores its clinical impacts and future research directions.

RECENT FINDINGS

Latest advancements in formulations - from oil-based solutions to nanomicelle and gel systems and waterless formulations - have improved the therapeutic efficacy and tolerability of topically applied cyclosporine, demonstrating greater effectiveness in treating ocular surface parameters compared to oil-based solution.

SUMMARY

Cyclosporine continues to be a safe and effective immunomodulatory drug in the field of ophthalmology to treat various chronic inflammatory ocular surface diseases and dry eye. Currently, there are several commercially available topical preparations available for ophthalmic use each with unique formulation and clinical outcomes.

Tolerability of Current Treatments for Dry Eye Disease: A Review of Approved and Investigational Therapies

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common, multifactorial ocular disease impacting 5% to 20% of people in Western countries and 45% to 70% in Asian countries. Despite the prevalence of DED and the number of treatment approaches available, signs and symptoms of the disease continue to limit the quality of life for many patients. Standard over-the-counter treatment approaches and behavior/environmental modifications may help some cases but more persistent forms often require pharmacological interventions. Approved and investigational pharmaceutical approaches attempt to treat the signs and symptoms of DED in different ways and tend to have varying tolerability among patients. While several pharmacological approaches are the standard for persistent and severe disease, mechanical options provide alternate treatment modalities that attempt to balance efficacy and comfort. Newer approaches target the causes of DED, utilizing novel delivery methods to minimize irritation and adverse events. Here, we review approved and investigational approaches to treating DED and compare patient tolerability.

Advantages of Lissamine Green Vital Staining as an Endpoint in Dry Eye Clinical Trials

Purpose

The absence of a standardized diagnostic method for clinical signs of Dry Eye Disease (DED) complicates clinical trials for future treatments. This paper evaluated Lissamine Green (LG) conjunctival staining as a valid, stable and modifiable endpoint for both clinical practice and clinical trials.

Methods

Screening and pre-randomization data from two identically designed clinical trials for DED resulted in a pooled dataset of 494 subjects. Inclusion was based on reported symptoms, lissamine green (LG) conjunctival staining, Fluorescein (Fl) corneal and conjunctival staining, and Schirmer's Test (ST). Outcome measures were assessed based on the modifiability of LG staining to exposure to a Controlled Adverse Environment (CAE®), correlation of LG to Fl staining, relative variation of LG staining scores and Schirmer test scores, and the correlation of LG staining with symptom scores.

Results

The modifiability of LG conjunctival staining to environmental exposure was demonstrated, with nasal LG and FL staining displaying the most similar percent change. Nasal LG conjunctival staining scores for subjects with ST scores of less than 8mm were significantly higher than for subjects with ST greater than 8mm. LG staining scores were more consistent (25% change from baseline threshold) than ST scores. Finally, statistically significant correlations were found between LG staining and a number of symptom scores.

Conclusion

This evaluation demonstrates the superiority of the utilization of a clinical endpoint focused on ocular surface damage. The reproducibility and modifiability of LG conjunctival staining to controlled adverse environment, coupled with its significant correlation with symptoms, positions it as an exemplary clinical sign endpoint for clinical management and in clinical trials. Our findings advocate for the adoption of LG conjunctival staining as a primary endpoint in both clinical research and drug development, offering a more effective means of identifying and addressing ocular surface damage in the realm of DED.

Efficacy of a new water-free topical cyclosporine 0.1% solution for optimizing the ocular surface in patients with dry eye and cataract

This is a pooled analysis from 2 phase III clinical trials investigating a water-free topical cyclosporine 0.1% for the treatment of moderate to severe dry eye. The analyses included 1162 patients: 35% with cataract, 20% with pseudophakia, and 45% without cataract. Demographics or baseline characteristics were comparable across groups except for age and vision. The cyclosporine-treated patients achieved large mean improvements from baseline by day 15: -3.7 in patients without cataract, -3.2 in patients with cataract, and -3.1 in pseudophakic patients. These improvements were statistically significantly higher compared with the respective vehicle groups. In the cataract subgroup, 59% of patients treated with cyclosporine achieved ≥3 grade improvements in corneal staining score, as early as day 15. The magnitude of the effect and early onset of action make this new cyclosporine solution a promising candidate for preoperative management of ocular surface in patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of a Water-Free Cyclosporine 0.1% Ophthalmic Solution for Treatment of Dry Eye Disease: ESSENCE-2 OLE

PURPOSE

The ESSENCE-2 Open-Label Extension study aimed to demonstrate long-term safety, tolerability, and efficacy of a novel water-free, nonpreserved topical cyclosporine 0.1% ophthalmic solution (US brand name VEVYE) for patients with dry eye disease (DED).

METHODS

This was a Phase 3, prospective, multicenter, open-label, clinical study. All patients received cyclosporine 0.1% ophthalmic solution and dosed each eye twice a day for 52 weeks. Primary safety end points were ocular and nonocular adverse events (AEs). Secondary safety end points included visual acuity, biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure, and dilated fundoscopy. Efficacy end points, such as total corneal fluorescein staining (tCFS) score (National Eye Institute [NEI] Scale), ocular symptoms (visual analog scale [VAS]), and Schirmer tear test, were also assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 202 patients were enrolled from the ESSENCE-2 study. At week 52, 175 patients (86.6%) completed ESSENCE-2 open-label extension. A total of 55 patients (27.5%) reported 74 ocular treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). The most common ocular AE was instillation site pain (6.5%), which was of mild intensity in all cases. Patients showed statistically significant improvements in all prespecified efficacy end points compared with baseline at each visit. Corneal staining improvements were early and stabilized over time while tear production improved continuously. Symptomatology improvement followed these effects with scores reaching a minimum after 1 year of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The water-free cyclosporine 0.1% ophthalmic solution was safe and well tolerated during long-term use. The results demonstrated sustained 1-year efficacy, in both signs and symptoms of DED, and may help understand short and long-term healing dynamics in a predominant inflammatory DED population.

Recent United States Developments in the Pharmacological Treatment of Dry Eye Disease

Dry eye disease (DED) can arise from a variety of factors, including inflammation, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), and neurosensory abnormalities. Individuals with DED may exhibit a range of clinical signs, including tear instability, reduced tear production, and epithelial disruption, that are driven by different pathophysiological contributors. Those affected often report a spectrum of pain and visual symptoms that can impact physical and mental aspects of health, placing an overall burden on an individual's well-being. This cumulative impact of DED on an individual's activities and on society underscores the importance of finding diverse and effective management strategies. Such management strategies necessitate an understanding of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms that contribute to DED in the individual patient. Presently, the majority of approved therapies for DED address T cell-mediated inflammation, with their tolerability and effectiveness varying across different studies. However, there is an emergence of treatments that target additional aspects of the disease, including novel inflammatory pathways, abnormalities of the eyelid margin, and neuronal function. These developments may allow for a more nuanced and precise management strategy for DED. This review highlights the recent pharmacological advancements in DED therapy in the United States. It discusses the mechanisms of action of these new treatments, presents key findings from clinical trials, discusses their current stage of development, and explores their potential applicability to different sub-types of DED. By providing a comprehensive overview of products in development, this review aims to contribute valuable insights to the ongoing efforts in enhancing the therapeutic options available to individuals suffering from DED.

Water-Free Cyclosporine Ophthalmic Solution vs Vehicle for Dry Eye Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Dry eye disease (DED) is a prevalent eye disorder. Cyclosporine is an effective immunomodulator that is widely used in DED; however, due to its highly hydrophobic nature, delivery of cyclosporine to the ocular surface is challenging.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of SHR8028, a water-free cyclosporine ophthalmic solution, 0.1%, compared with vehicle in Chinese participants with DED.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a multicenter, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, phase 3 randomized clinical trial conducted from March 4, 2021, to July 22, 2022. Adult participants with moderate to severe DED were recruited from 12 hospitals in China. Study data were analyzed April 2, 2022, for the primary analysis.

Interventions

Following a 14-day run-in period with an artificial tear, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive water-free cyclosporine or vehicle (1 eye drop in each eye twice daily). After a 29-day treatment, participants of both groups were given the option to receive water-free cyclosporine for an additional 12 weeks for longer-term safety assessment.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary end points were changes from baseline in total corneal fluorescein staining (tCFS) using the National Eye Institute scale and in dryness score on a visual analog scale at day 29.

Results

A total of 206 participants (mean [SD] age, 47.8 [14.2] years; 185 female [90%]) were enrolled, with 103 each in the cyclosporine group and the vehicle group. At day 29, the cyclosporine group experienced improved tCFS compared with vehicle (change [Δ] = -1.8; 95% CI, -2.7 to -1.0; P < .001), with a tCFS score decrease from baseline of -4.8 in the cyclosporine group and -3.0 in the vehicle group. Dryness score decreased from baseline in both groups (-19.2 vs -15.4; Δ = -3.8; 95% CI, -9.2 to 1.6; P = .17). During the 29-day treatment, treatment-related adverse events were reported in 15 participants (14.6%) in the cyclosporine group and 11 participants (10.7%) in the vehicle group.

Conclusions And Relevance

Results demonstrated superiority of a water-free cyclosporine, 0.1%, eye solution over vehicle in improving tCFS score at day 29 in Chinese participants with DED. However, dryness score (VAS) was not improved at day 29.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05841043.

Update on Dry Eye Disease Treatment: Evidence From Randomized Controlled Trials

ABSTRACT

Although the ultimate goal of dry eye disease (DED) management is to restore the ocular surface and tear film homeostasis and address any accompanying symptoms, addressing this is not an easy task. Despite the wide range of current treatment modalities targeting multiple aspects of DED, the available DED management literature is quite heterogeneous, rendering evaluation or comparison of treatment outcomes hard or almost impossible. There is still a shortage of well-designed, large-scale, nonsponsored, randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating long-term safety and efficacy of many targeted therapies individually or used in combination, in the treatment of identified subgroups of patients with DED. This review focuses on the treatment modalities in DED management and aims to reveal the current evidence available as deduced from the outcomes of RCTs.

Recent advances in drug treatments for dry eye disease

INTRODUCTION

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common ocular condition with a significant impact on patients' quality of life. Conventional treatments include behavioral changes, tear substitutes, and anti-inflammatory agents; however, recent advances in the understanding of DED pathogenesis have opened the way to the development of novel treatment strategies able to target several pathways involved in the onset and persistence of DED.

AREAS COVERED

Literature search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus around the term 'dry eye disease' and others involving its pathophysiology and therapeutic strategy. The primary focus was on recent drugs approved by FDA or under investigation in phase 3 clinical trials. Google and ClinicalTrials.gov were used for obtaining information about the status of FDA approval and ongoing clinical trials.

EXPERT OPINION

Due to its multifaced pathogenesis, DED management is often challenging, and patients' needs are frequently unmet. Recently, several novel treatments have been either FDA-approved or studied in late-phase trials. These novel drugs target-specific biological components of the ocular surface and reduce inflammation and ocular pain. Additionally, new drug delivery systems allow for increased bioavailability, improve effective dosing, and minimize ocular side effects. These advances in drug therapies show real promise for better management of DED patients.

Possible Strategies to Mitigate Placebo or Vehicle Response in Dry Eye Disease Trials: A Narrative Review

Many candidate drugs for dry eye disease (DED) have been assessed over the years in pursuit of demonstrating efficacy in both signs and symptoms. However, patients with DED have very limited treatment options for management of both signs and symptoms of DED. There are several potential reasons behind this including the placebo or vehicle response, which is a frequent issue observed in DED trials. A high magnitude of vehicle response interferes with the estimation of a drug's treatment effect and may lead to failure of a clinical trial. To address these concerns, Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society International Dry Eye Workshop II taskforce has recommended a few study design strategies to minimize vehicle response observed in DED trials. This review briefly describes the factors that lead to placebo/vehicle response in DED trials and focuses on the aspects of clinical trial design that can be improved to mitigate vehicle response. In addition, it presents the observations from a recent ECF843 phase 2b study, wherein the study design approach consisted of a vehicle run-in phase, withdrawal phase, and masked treatment transition, and led to consistent data for DED signs and symptoms and reduced vehicle response post randomization.

Comparison of seven cyclosporine A formulations for dry eye disease: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Background: Dry eye disease is a common ocular surface disease affecting tens of millions of people worldwide. It is characterized by an unstable tear film and increasing prevalence. Different commercial formulations of cyclosporine A for dry eye have been approved, however, it is still unclear whether the differences in formulations of these products will make a difference in clinical efficacy and safety. Methods: Randomized controlled trials of commercial cyclosporine A formulation for dry eye disease were searched in Pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane controlled trials registries and Web of Science from inception till 1 December 2021. Independent literature screening, data extraction, quality evaluation, and the study in line with quality standards were analyzed by using Stata16.0 software. The study is registered with PROSPERO under the number CRD42022301423. Code and data for this study is publicly available (https://github.com/DongYangGao/Dongyang.github.io.git). Results: 21 randomized clinical trials with a total of 4,107 participants were included in this study. Restasis® (OR-4.82, 95% CI-6.18 to 3.45, SUCRA 77.2%) was the most effective commercial formulation for reducing OSDI, Zirun® (SUCRA 73.9%) performed better in improving Schirmer's test. TJ Cyporin® (SUCRA 65.3%) ranked first in terms of improving tear film break-up time. For treatment-emergent adverse events incidence, Clacier® was close to placebo. The risk of reporting bias is considered low. Conclusion: In the comparison of outcomes included in this study, the optimal order of various commercial cyclosporine A formulations is different, so it is difficult to select the optimal formula. Appropriate commercial formulations should be selected according to patients' conditions in clinical practice.

A Single Administration of OC-01 (Varenicline Solution) Nasal Spray Induces Short-Term Alterations in Conjunctival Goblet Cells in Patients with Dry Eye Disease

INTRODUCTION

Dry eye disease is characterized by a persistently unstable or deficient tear film causing discomfort or visual impairment. Varenicline is a small-molecule nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist recently approved for use as a preservative-free nasal spray (OC-01 [varenicline solution] nasal spray [OC-01 VNS]) to treat signs and symptoms of dry eye disease, but its effect on conjunctival goblet cells has not been studied.

METHODS

In this phase 2, single-center, vehicle-controlled study, patients aged 18 years or more with a diagnosis of dry eye disease and Ocular Surface Disease Index© score of at least 23 were randomized 2:1 to receive a 50-µL single dose of OC-01 0.06 mg VNS or vehicle nasal spray in each nostril. Image assessments for area and perimeter were performed pre and 10 min post treatment for goblet cells by in vivo confocal microscopy and for meibomian glands by infrared meibography. Non-parametric Wilcoxon signed-rank test compared pre- and post-treatment measurements for each treatment group. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were assessed.

RESULTS

The study randomized 18 patients (mean age 61 years); 6 received vehicle (3/6 [50%] female) and 12 patients received OC-01 VNS (11/12 [92%] female). OC-01 VNS treatment decreased mean goblet cell area (pre-treatment, 106.4 µm2; post-treatment, 67.6 µm2; p = 0.02) and perimeter (pre-treatment, 38.9 µm; post-treatment, 31.2 µm; p = 0.03) but not vehicle did not (p = 0.25). There were no significant changes in mean meibomian gland area with either treatment (p ≥ 0.05). All TEAEs were non-ocular, non-serious, and mild.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that a single administration of OC-01 0.06 mg VNS in patients with dry eye disease reduced conjunctival goblet cell area and perimeter, suggesting goblet cell degranulation and associated release of lubricating mucin. By activating the natural tear film, OC-01 VNS may provide benefits over topical medications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03688802.