PRODUCTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

Cataract surgery is the most common operation performed in the United States, with approximately four million annual procedures (nearly 30 million worldwide). Anti-inflammatory eye drops are typically self-administered by the patient for one month postoperatively. DEX-SA, designed to last approximately one month and treat postoperative inflammation and pain, would deliver dexamethasone to the subconjunctival space, eliminating the need for patient dosing of medication after surgery.

Glaucoma is the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the world, often requiring a lifetime of eye drop treatment to reduce intraocular pressure. LAT-LA is a single extraocular injectable administration of a six-month release prostaglandin analog for glaucoma treatment, replacing the currently prescribed multiple daily eye drops.

Age-related macular degeneration and macular edema are major causes of vision loss in people over 50. In these cases, damage occurs to the macula, a small spot in the center of the retina responsible for seeing objects directly ahead of us. As a result, patients with AMD have difficulty performing various activities. Current treatment consists of monthly or bimonthly injections of monoclonal antibodies designed to eliminate angiogenesis. Animal studies have demonstrated that a single administration of SNS RET-LA is capable of preventing such blood vessel growth for over a year in a standard rabbit model of corneal angiogenesis.

SNS technology, initially designed for small molecules, is now being adapted to allow delivery of protein therapeutics. This includes such important macromolecules as anti-angiogenic antibodies, oligonucleotides, trans-gene expression products and growth factors, all of which have immense therapeutic value. An example is in delivering monoclonal antibodies (anti-vegf) drugs to the back of the eye to treat serious visual impairment, including age-related macular degeneration and macular edema, leading causes of blindness affecting over eight million people in the United States.