Ophthalmology Therapeutic Roundup — December 22, 2016

Here's a look at some of the latest news regarding ophthalmic drugs and therapies from the past week. 

• Portage Biotech Inc. has formed a new ophthalmic company, EyGen, Ltd., focused on developing preclinical ophthalmology assets through proof of concept. EyGen's lead asset is PPL-003 — an anti-inflammatory created by Portage Pharmaceuticals Limited for topical ophthalmic delivery in patients with ocular surface and anterior segment diseases.
• Clinical-stage ophthalmic pharmaceutical company Eyenovia Inc. recently announced positive results for its Phase II study of the safety and efficacy of its topical piezo-print microtherapeutic approach. The study reportedly validates the results of an earlier Phase II trial on the pharmacodynamic effect of topical microdosing for ophthalmic mydriasis.
• Genetic information company Invitae Corporation recently made available 24 new and 19 expanded genetic test panels, including tests in ophthalmology.
• The Foundation Fighting Blindness recently held a multi-organization workshop on advancing clinical trial endpoints for therapies for retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), retinitis pigmentosa, and Stargardt disease. More than 150 industry professionals reportedly attended the event in Bethesda at the National Institutes of Health, while nearly 200 other attendees from around the world participated through a Webcast.