HERZLIYA, Israel, March 27, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orasis Pharmaceuticals LTD., a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing a corrective eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia as an alternative to reading glasses, today announced the initiation of a Phase 2b clinical study in the U.S. evaluating CSF-1 for the treatment of presbyopia.
“We are excited to initiate the Phase 2b clinical trial evaluating our corrective eye drop as it marks a key milestone in its clinical development,” said Elad Kedar, chief executive officer of Orasis. “CSF-1 has the potential to restore near-vison and offer an alternative to current treatment options, which are either cumbersome or invasive. We look forward to sharing the results from this study in the near future as we advance the development of CSF-1 in the clinic for the treatment of presbyopia, a condition that affects more than 1.8 billion people worldwide.”
The Phase 2b study (NCT03885011) is a multi-center, double-masked trial in the U.S. enrolling 150 participants with presbyopia to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CSF-1. The study started enrolling patients in February 2019. All study sites are actively recruiting participants aged 45 to 64 with presbyopia.
About Presbyopia
Presbyopia is the inability to focus on near objects. It commonly occurs after the age of 40 and affects more than 1.8 billion people worldwide. People with presbyopia experience blurred vision when performing daily tasks that require near visual acuity, such as reading a book, a restaurant menu or messages on a smartphone. Presbyopia occurs as a result of the natural aging process when the crystalline lens of the eye gradually stiffens and loses flexibility. Presbyopia cannot be prevented or reversed, and it continues to progress gradually. All existing treatment options are either cumbersome or invasive, presenting a significant unmet need for quality of life improvement for people with presbyopia.
About Orasis Pharmaceuticals
Orasis Pharmaceuticals is developing CSF-1, a corrective eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia as an alternative to reading glasses. By repurposing existing and well-studied molecules, CSF-1 is designed to be effective, safe, comfortable, and easy-to-use. Orasis is led by a collaborative team of industry executives and ophthalmologists with a diverse set of experiences in research, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical drugs, as well as finance and business development. Orasis is funded by a diverse group of sophisticated and experienced life science and healthcare investors including the ophthalmology focused venture capital fund Visionary Ventures, Sequoia Capital, SBI (Japan) Innovation Fund, LifeSci Venture Partners, Maverick Ventures Israel, and other private investors. Orasis is based in Herzliya, Israel. For more information, visit www.orasis-pharma.com.
Corporate Contact
Elad Kedar, CEO
+972-9-8877745
Info@orasis-pharma.com
Media Contact
Alison Chen
+1 646-876-4932
achen@lifescipublicrelations.com