During the recent American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery annual meeting in Boston, Cloudbreak Pharma presented new survey results revealing patients’ strong interest in a potential treatment option for the ocular disease pterygium, coinciding with the development of Cloudbreak’s lead candidate, CBT-001.
Pterygium, often referred to as “surfer’s eye,” results from prolonged exposure to UV rays, leading to abnormal conjunctiva tissue growth. Cloudbreak highlighted that approximately 15 million individuals in the U.S. have pterygium, with only a fraction formally diagnosed.
Currently, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for pterygium, leaving patients with limited options such as eye drops or surgical removal. The survey, conducted among 60 volunteers participating in Cloudbreak’s ongoing phase 3 trial, underscored patients’ desire for a new treatment that addresses symptoms and delays or eliminates the need for surgery.
More than three-quarters of respondents expressed “extreme interest” in an eye-drop-based treatment, with over 60% having already tried various eye drops, and 13% resorting to surgery, only to experience pterygium recurrence afterward.
Challenges in pterygium diagnosis were evident, with half of respondents delaying consultation with healthcare providers for at least two years after symptom onset. Additionally, nearly 90% of patients were symptomatic at the time of diagnosis, reporting common symptoms such as irritation and foreign body sensation.
The impact of pterygium on patients’ lives was substantial, with symptoms persisting even after diagnosis. Cloudbreak Pharma’s Chief Medical Officer, Abu Abraham, emphasized the pressing need for new treatment options to alleviate symptoms and reduce reliance on surgery.
Cloudbreak’s CBT-001 demonstrated promising results in its phase 2 trial, prompting advancement to phase 3, where it aims to further assess efficacy over 24 months. The study seeks to validate the medication’s ability to reduce conjunctival hyperemia and inhibit lesion length progression when administered twice daily.
The biotech’s commitment to addressing the unmet needs of pterygium patients underscores the importance of developing effective non-surgical treatments to enhance quality of life and alleviate symptom burden.
