Tarsus Presents Results of Two Studies Highlighting Demodex Blepharitis Patient Impact and Burden at the ASCRS 2022
Tarsus Pharmaceuticals presented data from its Atlas Continuation study on the negative impacts to daily life and visual function, and preliminary findings from its Pandora study on pathogenic bacterial count, for patients with Demodex blepharitis at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS) 2022 Annual Meeting.
Accepted abstracts include:
- Impact of Demodex Blepharitis on Patients: Results of the Atlas Trial (ASCRS Paper ID 81946); Mitchell A. Jackson, M.D., et al.
- Demodex Blepharitis and Coexisting Bacterial Burden in Eye Care Patients: The Pandora Study (ASCRS Paper ID 81932); Elizabeth Yeu, M.D., et al.
“Data from these studies demonstrate that patients with Demodex blepharitis continue to experience significant detriment to their daily lives, with no effective, well-tolerated or FDA-approved options,” Bobak Azamian, MD, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tarsus, said in a company news release. “This research enables us to obtain additional, compelling insights into this significantly underserved patient population and reinforces our commitment to the Demodex blepharitis community. As we prepare to imminently share topline results from our pivotal Saturn-2 trial for TP-03, we are hopeful that we’ll be able to bring a safe and effective treatment forward for FDA review, which may offer a solution to the millions of patients struggling with Demodex blepharitis.”
About TP-03
TP-03 (lotilaner ophthalmic solution, 0.25%) is a novel, investigational therapeutic designed to resolve the signs of Demodex blepharitis by targeting and eradicating the root cause of the disease–Demodexmite infestation. Lotilaner is a well-characterized anti-parasitic agent that paralyzes and eradicates Demodex mites by selectively inhibiting the GABA-Cl channels. It is a highly lipophilic molecule, which may promote its uptake in the oily sebum of the hair follicle where the mites reside. TP-03 was evaluated in the pivotal Saturn-1 (phase 2b/3) trial involving 421 patients and successfully met the primary and secondary endpoints with no serious treatment-related adverse events and was well tolerated. TP-03 is currently being evaluated in the Saturn-2 pivotal phase 3 trial. If approved, TP-03 may offer treatment for millions of patients with Demodex blepharitis.