Inotek’s Glaucoma Drug Flunks in First Phase 3 Test, Shares Crumble
Summary
Inotek blamed a placebo response that it said was 2 to 3 millimeters of mercury, or mmHg (the typical measurement for eye pressure) higher than it saw in Phase 2 testing.CEO David Southwell added in a statement that the drug hit its mark on a variety of secondary measures and appeared roughly as safe as a placebo.Inotek is one of several companies trying to come up with a new treatment for glaucoma, a chronic condition in which a buildup of fluid increases pressure in the eye, damaging the optic nerve and potentially causing blindness if left unchecked.They can also typically end up on one of several other classes of eye drops, such as beta blockers or adrenergic agonists, that are either used to boost the effects of PGAs or serve as an alternative therapy.Its trabodenoson is supposed to spur enzymes within the tissue to clear out the proteins that are clogging up the eye’s drainage system.