Investigational Cis-urocanic Acid Eye Drops for Dry Eye Syndrome Well Tolerated, in Phase 1 Clinical Study

TURKU, FINLAND--(Marketwire - Jun 28, 2012) - Laurantis Pharma today announced that it has completed a phase 1 clinical study with its Cis-urocanic acid eye drops. The objective of the study was to investigate the tolerability and safety of the ophthalmic product as well as pharmacokinetics after single and repeated dosing. In total, 37 healthy adult volunteers were recruited in the study.

"The trial was a success. The eye drops were well tolerated and the drug did not induce any local eye irritation or systemic side effects," said Lasse Leino, COO of Laurantis Pharma. "Good tolerability of an ophthalmic product is essential, as the ocular system is sensitive to irritation. Based on these results we do not expect safety concerns in the future clinical studies with patients." 

The eye drops developed by Laurantis Pharma are indicated for the treatment of ocular surface inflammation typically seen for example in the dry eye syndrome. The company expects that it will take at least five years before the product is in the markets.

"Dry eye syndrome is a very common condition especially among elderly people," said Riku Rautsola, CEO of Laurantis Pharma. "Currently, there is a limited amount of effective therapy available for this disease that addresses the underlying cause of the disease. We see a significant commercial potential for any effective drug therapy in this ophthalmic market segment."

About Laurantis Pharma
Laurantis Pharma is a clinical-stage biotechnology company with a broad portfolio of first-in-class products based on two proprietary technologies. The Company's lead products target the treatment of a variety of inflammatory diseases and conditions including lymphatic disorders, atopic dermatitis, dry eye syndrome, and interstitial cystitis, as well as the treatment of bladder cancer.

The Company's pipeline includes proprietary and patent-protected formulations and applications of cis-urocanic acid (cis-UCA), a locally acting anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative agent. Laurantis Pharma is also developing Lymfactin™, a vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) in an adenoviral vector, for the treatment of secondary lymphedema. Laurantis Pharma is a privately held company located in Turku, Finland.