Will a new market for presbyopia open up?

Pharmaceutical companies compete to introduce new drugs and develop

U.S. FDA approves eye drop containing aceclidine for treating presbyopia…Korean companies compete for domestic launch

Dae Woo Pharmaceutical launches new eye drop containing pilocarpine for treating glaucoma…"We will concurrently conduct clinical trials for presbyopia"

OPTUS Pharma in-licenses international product…Kwangdong secures the domestic sales rights for a candidate product

The market for age-related blurry near vision (presbyopia) treatment is emerging as a blue ocean for Korean pharmaceutical and biotech companies.

 

Following a series of new drug approvals by the U.S.

 

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), ophthalmic specialized pharmaceutical companies, including Dae Woo Pharmaceutical, OPTUS Pharma, and Kwangdong Pharmaceutical, are accelerating their efforts to introduce and develop treatments for presbyopia.

 

Pilocarpine containing eye drop is expected to treat presbyopia...Dae Woo "We will also conduct clinical trials for expanded indication" According to the pharmaceutical industry on September 30, Dae Woo Pharmaceutical plans to concurrently conduct clinical trials to add presbyopia indication to its recently launched product, 'Pilostar Eye Drops 1%'.

 

Dae Woo Pharmaceutical anticipates that the main component, pilocarpine, will be effective not only in treating glaucoma but also in improving presbyopia.

 

Pilocarpine is a parasympathetic agonist that reduces intraocular pressure by promoting aqueous humor outflow through the trabecular meshwork.

 

It also has a mechanism that contracts the iris sphincter muscle.

 

This process reduces the pupil size, creating a pinhole effect that improves presbyopia, a principle similar to how an object becomes clearer when a camera's aperture is narrowed The U.S.

 

FDA has actually approved an eye drop with the same ingredient as a presbyopia treatment.

 

The U.S.

 

FDA approved Vuity (developed by Allergan) as the first presbyopia treatment in 2021.

 

Vuity, a presbyopia treatment with a 1.25% concentration of pilocarpine, improves presbyopia symptoms within 15 minutes of once-daily administration, with effects lasting for about 6 hours.

 

Recent research results presented at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) are also increasing the success potential of pilocarpine-based presbyopia treatments.

 

A research team from the Presbyopia Study Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, presented results from administering pilocarpine-containing eye drops to 766 patients with presbyopia at the ESCRS conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 8.

 

The research team divided the clinical participants into three groups, administering 1%, 2%, and 3% concentrations of pilocarpine eye drops, respectively.

 

Administered twice daily at 6-hour intervals, 99% of the group receiving the 1% concentration eye drops (148 participants) were able to read two or more additional lines on a vision test chart.

 

A Dae Woo Pharmaceutical official stated, "We are paying close attention to the research results presented at recent global academic conferences.

 

We are preparing clinical trials to add the presbyopia treatment indication." He added, "The clinical trial is expected to take 2-3 years." U.S.

 

FDA approves treatments for presbyopia one after another…Korean companies, such as Kwangdong and Optus, compete for domestic launch Other pharmaceutical companies are also pursuing treatments for presbyopia.

 

In particular, interest is growing in 'Vizz,' a new active ingredient presbyopia treatment approved by the U.S.

 

FDA last month.

 

This product is an ophthalmic solution with a 1.44% concentration of aceclidine, developed by LENZ Therapeutics, a U.S.-based company.

 

The emergence of a new active ingredient for treating presbyopia has sparked competition among Korean pharmaceutical companies for its domestic launch.

 

It is reported that 3-4 companies initiated discussions with LENZ Therapeutics for the domestic introduction of this product immediately after the FDA approval.

 

(from left) Product photos of Vuity, Qlosi, and Vizz.

OPTUS Pharma and Kwangdong Pharmaceutical have also actively pursued the introduction of presbyopia treatments.

 

OPTUS Pharma signed a licensing agreement for the presbyopia treatment 'Qlosi' with Orasis Pharmaceuticals (U.S./Israel) in September of last year.

 

This drug was the second presbyopia treatment approved by the U.S.

 

FDA in October 2023.

 

Its main component, like Vuity, is pilocarpine, but the concentration differs at 0.4%.

 

Its domestic commercialization is expected as early as 2026.

 

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical signed an agreement last January to introduce the presbyopia treatment candidate BRIMOCHOL from the Hong Kong pharmaceutical company Zhaoke Ophthalmology.

 

Through this contract, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical secures exclusive domestic import, distribution, and sales rights for BRIMOCHOL.

 

The original developer is the U.S.

 

biotech company Visus Therapeutics, and global Phase 3 clinical trials have been completed.

 

Kwangdong Pharmaceutical signed an agreement last January to introduce the presbyopia treatment candidate BRIMOCHOL from the Hong Kong pharmaceutical company Zhaoke Ophthalmology.

 

Through this contract, Kwangdong Pharmaceutical secures exclusive domestic import, distribution, and sales rights for BRIMOCHOL.

 

This drug is a combination drug containing carbachol (2.75%) and brimonidine tartrate (0.1%), which alleviates symptoms of presbyopia.

 

It activates the parasympathetic nervous system while simultaneously inhibiting the sympathetic nervous system.

 

Like other treatments, its mechanism improves presbyopia by constricting the pupil.

 

The pharmaceutical industry is focusing on the growth potential of the presbyopia treatment market.

 

Presbyopia is a typical degenerative eye disease in which the elasticity of the lens decreases, making it difficult to focus on near objects.

 

While 70% of adults aged 40 and over experience discomfort due to presbyopia, there have been no dedicated treatments other than vision correction using specialized glasses or contact lenses.

 

The introduction of new drugs in the form of eye drops is expected to become a new alternative to satisfy patients' unmet needs.

 

A pharmaceutical industry official predicted, "Since there have been no treatment options in the presbyopia treatment area, the market presence is expected to be significant when new drugs emerge," and added, "Competition among Korean pharmaceutical companies for new drug introduction and development will intensify in the future."