Swiss pharmaceutical major Novartis has chosen to exercise an option to in-license an experimental eye drug from US biopharma Lubris. The drug, ECF843, is a recombinant human lubricin protein that could relieve dry eye symptoms, an area with a high unmet medical need that affects more than 344 million people worldwide. Financial terms of the transaction, which remains subject to the usual closing conditions and regulatory approvals, were not revealed.

The move gives Novartis worldwide rights (excluding Europe) to the treatment for ophthalmic indications, with a primary focus on dry eye, which is a common condition that occurs when the eyes do not make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly leading to the eyes becoming red, swollen and irritated. ECF843 is thought to restore the tear film function, reduce friction and relieve the signs and symptoms of dry eye.

Results from a phase II clinical study have shown that ECF843 has the potential to provide immediate improvement. Vasant Narasimhan, Novartis’s global head of drug development and chief medical officer, said the therapy could potentially be the first therapeutic to provide rapid relief of dry eye symptoms and significantly improve signs. He commented: “Exercising our option to in-license ECFF843, along with our recent acquisition of Encore Medical for the treatment of presbyopia, underscores our commitment to treating diseases of the front of the eye which impact millions of people worldwide.”

Novartis acquired Encore Vision last December. The Texas, US-based company’s lead investigational product is EV06, a novel, topical treatment for presbyopia, which is a common age-related loss of near distance vision characterized by a progressive inability to focus on objects nearby.