Novartis taps tiny biotech for mass-market eye drug

Pharmaceutical giant Novartis has reached an agreent with the small, virtual biotech company Lubris for the rights to a breakthrough dry eye treatment, which has its foundations in the human body.The formula – ECF843 – is derived from lubricin; a naturally occurring lubricrant found in most places where two tissues meet. The company was able to industrialise it into a replacent protein therapy, which has reportedly achieved startling results in the treatment of dry eye.{{quote-A:R-W:450-I:2-Q: ECF843 has the potential to be the first therapeutic to provide rapid relief of dry eye symptoms and significantly improve signs, -WHO:Mr Vasant Narasimhan, Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer of Novartis}}Lubris’ Phase II study of ECF843 involved comparing its efficacy against sodium hyaluronate with 40 patients with moderate to severe dry eye. It performed so well that it made Novartis – a company which last year had a market cap of more than US$200 billion (AU$271.3 b) – sit up and take notice.“ECF843 has the potential to be the first therapeutic to provide rapid relief of dry eye symptoms and significantly improve signs,” Novartis’ global head of drug development and chief medical officer Mr Vasant Narasimhan said.“Exercising our option to in-license ECF843, 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.”Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, however, the licence grants Novartis the international distribution rights (excluding Europe) to the drops when it goes to production.To date, this development is the second acquisition in Novartis’ strategy to increase its presence in the artificial tears market.