Turkish-developed eye drop shows promise against blinding corneal disease

ISTANBUL

A Turkish ophthalmologist’s experimental eye drop targeting Fuchs’ dystrophy, a corneal disease that can lead to blindness and currently has no treatment other than corneal transplantation, has shown promising results in animal studies and was awarded top scientific recognition at a major U.S. congress.

Dr. İskender Alkın Solmaz began the research project around eight years ago, initially driven by personal scientific curiosity.

Working with a small team of four researchers, he set out to develop a pharmacological treatment for Fuchs’ dystrophy, a genetic corneal disorder affecting millions worldwide.

The condition typically begins in the 40s and can lead to complete vision loss within about a decade as the endothelial layer of the cornea deteriorates, causing vision to become increasingly cloudy, similar to looking through frosted glass.

In preclinical trials lasting six months, the team tested the eye drop on rabbits. According to the researchers, the early results were highly encouraging.

Following these findings, businessman Mehmet Ali Aydınlar provided financial backing, becoming an investor in the project.

The study was later presented at the annual congress of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), where it was selected as the best scientific paper.

Solmaz noted that the team has now completed preclinical work and is preparing for Phase 1 clinical trials. To continue development, they have established a company in Canada and are seeking approximately $5 million in funding.

The ultimate goal is to obtain approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and bring the eye drop to market, potentially by 2030 if development proceeds as planned. Solmaz emphasized that beyond improving patient outcomes, the treatment could significantly reduce healthcare costs, as corneal transplant surgeries in the United States cost around $20,000 per patient.