Aurion Biotech's Cell Therapy Shows Promise in Reducing Glare and Improving Vision in Corneal Edema

Key Insights

• Aurion Biotech's endothelial cell therapy demonstrates significant improvements in both best-corrected visual acuity and brightness acuity testing for corneal edema.
• The cell therapy shows potential as a treatment for glare, a common and bothersome symptom in patients with Fuchs dystrophy and corneal edema.
• Clinical trial data from El Salvador indicates that the treatment's benefits extend to patients with severe disease and other ocular complications.

Aurion Biotech's injectable endothelial cell therapy is showing promising results in improving vision and reducing glare in patients with corneal edema. Data from clinical trials in El Salvador indicate significant improvements in both best-corrected visual acuity and brightness acuity testing, suggesting the therapy's potential to address both vision problems and glare associated with corneal edema.

Brightness Acuity Testing Results

Dr. Matt Giegengack, a cornea specialist at Wake Forest University, presented data on brightness acuity testing from clinical trials conducted in El Salvador. The results indicated that at each measured time point, both best-corrected vision and brightness acuity testing improved in tandem, suggesting the treatment effectively addresses vision problems and glare associated with corneal edema.

Addressing Glare in Corneal Edema

Glare is a significant concern for patients with Fuchs dystrophy and corneal edema. According to Dr. Giegengack, as treatments for corneal endothelial disease have improved, the threshold for offering surgeries has decreased, with glare being a primary reason for performing Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), the gold standard for treating these conditions. The data suggests that corneal endothelial cell therapy could offer a similar benefit in reducing glare.

Applicability and Advantages over DMEK

While DMEK is currently the preferred surgical treatment for Fuchs dystrophy and endothelial disease, it is not suitable for all patients, particularly those with unstable lenses or certain glaucoma procedures. Endothelial cell therapy offers a potential solution for these patients, expanding the treatment options for corneal edema. Some patients treated in the El Salvadorian trials had other ocular issues that would have precluded DMEK, highlighting the broader applicability of cell therapy.

Ongoing U.S. Clinical Trial

A U.S. clinical trial is currently underway to assess the therapy's effectiveness in patients with less severe disease. The hope is that this trial will demonstrate the treatment's efficacy for a wider range of patients, including those who are not candidates for DMEK. The results from the U.S. trial are expected to further validate the potential of endothelial cell therapy as a valuable treatment option for corneal edema.