VP1-001 (cataract drops)

2022: Creating drops to treat cataracts

In May 2022, specialists from the Anglia Raskin University (ARU) in the UK reported significant progress in the treatment of cataracts with a medicinal compound, which paves the way for new treatments, the university said in a press release.

Traditionally, the only treatment for this disease has been surgery alone. However, a team of researchers led by Professor Barbara Piercionek of the ARU conducted cutting-edge trials of the oxysterol compound as an anti-cataract drug. Oxysterol is a cholesterol derivative that plays a role in many cellular functions, including autophagy - conserved degradation of cells to remove unnecessary components.

VP1-001 drops, when used in laboratory tests, showed a marked improvement in the refraction coefficient profile in 61% of cases. By comparison, a press release said lens haze was found in 46% of cases. The refraction index profile is the most important parameter that determines the focusing ability of the eye. Thus, the action of the drug is aimed at restoring the protein organization inside the lens.

This is the world's first study of its kind, "Professor Pirszionek said in a news release. The positive effects of the compound have been proposed as an anti-cataract drug, but have never before been tested on lens optics. This is a significant step forward towards treating this extremely common disease with medication rather than surgery.

However, studies have also shown improvement only in some types of cataracts, not all. This means that treatment will only be possible for certain types of cataracts, and future cataract drug development needs to consider these differences, the researchers said.^[1]

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