Patients are needed in Australia for the Phase II clinical study, known as the RUBY Trial, which will evaluate the safety and efficacy of Okogen’s lead candidate, OKG-0301, in the treatment of the highly contagious adenoviral conjunctivitis.
Viral conjunctivitis, the number one cause of eye infections globally, affects up to 25 million people worldwide each year.
Okogen has seven trial sites… participating in the RUBY trial, and with enquiries regarding influenza already at the highest level in the past six years… the trial is actively enrolling patients
Okogen has seven trial sites (Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Adelaide, Perth and Albury) participating in the RUBY trial, and with enquiries regarding influenza already at the highest level in the past six years (according to the federal government1), the trial is actively enrolling patients.
Okogen CEO, Dr. Brian M Strem, said the drug worked by reducing the ability of adenovirus to reproduce itself.
“Acute adenoviral conjunctivitis is a highly contagious, widespread disease which causes significant discomfort, and in some cases, permanent damage to a person’s vision,” he said.
“To limit the spread of the infection within the family and the community, patients are typically instructed to avoid work, school or day care. Finding new treatments that reduce the impact both on eye health and day-to-day living is important.
“The purpose of our clinical trial is to test whether this drug can reduce the length of time patients are infectious, as well as accelerating the recovery of the signs of symptoms of this infection, such as eye redness and watery discharge.”
Eye infections are typically caused by either viruses or bacteria. While bacterial conjunctivitis is typically treated with antibiotics, these drugs do not work in treating viral forms of the infection, however they continue to be prescribed as the default treatment. Over use of antibiotics is a growing problem in Australia, leading to increased antibiotic resistance.
Despite the high incidence of adenoviral conjunctivitis, there are no approved treatments for the disease.
Adenoviral conjunctivitis can persist for up to three weeks, and patients are highly contagious for 10-14 days. This puts families and communities, including schools and daycare centres, at risk for rapid spread of the infection and persistence of the virus within the population.
To be eligible for the trial, patients must enrol within three days of showing symptoms, so it’s imperative health professionals diagnose and refer patients to the trial early in the course of disease.
To learn more about the RUBY Trial, visit rubytrial.com.au
Reference:
1. www.healthdirect.gov.au/flu-trends-in-australia
