Use of Dopaminergic Prodrug to Prevent Myopia Progression

Researchers at Stanford have established the safety and penetrance of the dopaminergic prodrug etilevodopa to prevent the progression of myopia ("nearsightedness"). In the past 50 years, myopia prevalence in the U.S. and Europe has doubled and in China has jumped from 20% to 90% of the population. Slowing myopia progression even minimally can help prevent blindness. Despite the high prevalence, no pharmacologic treatment has been approved or cleared for myopia control by the U.S. FDA. Increasing ocular dopamine has been explored as a treatment; however, use of isolated dopaminergic agents can cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting, as well as conjunctivitis. The Stanford team's novel approach uses a dopaminergic prodrug to avoid negative effects on the eye while still allowing for penetration of medication past the ocular surface. They found that topical administration of the prodrug etilevodopa showed no evidence of retinal toxicity and warrants additional investigation as a potential therapeutic treatment for myopia.

Stage of Development
Pre-clinical. Next steps include additional animal safety/efficacy data vs. Phase I clinical trial.