Perfuse Therapeutics Inc, a developer of transformational therapies to treat ischemia-induced ocular diseases, on Tuesday reported positive 24-week results from its completed Phase 1/2a trial of PER-001, a first in class endothelin antagonist intravitreal implant for glaucoma.

Steven Mansberger, MD, MPH, chief of Ophthalmology and director of Glaucoma Services at Legacy Devers Eye Institute, and an investigator in the study, shared the results in an oral presentation at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Meeting.

Data from the trial showed a single intravitreal administration of PER-001, added to existing standard-of-care intraocular pressure (IOP) reducing therapies, increased ocular blood flow and improved both visual function and anatomic structure, each of which are registrable outcomes, as measured by visual field (VF) sensitivity and optical coherence tomography (OCT) retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness. PER-001 was safe and well-tolerated over the six-month study period.

The Phase 1/2a clinical trial was a multi-centre, two-part trial designed to assess the safety and tolerability of the PER-001 intravitreal implant in patients with glaucoma. Exploratory objectives included pharmacodynamic (optic nerve head blood flow), functional (VF) and structural (OCT RNFL) effects of PER-001.