CBT-004

CBT-004 is indicated for vascularised pinguecula. Pinguecula is a round, yellowish, elevated tissue that develops on the conjunctiva adjacent to the cornea. In general, an asymptomatic pinguecula requires no treatment, but its yellowish and raised contour can cause mechanical or poor tear film-related ocular surface irritation. When the lesion becomes vascularised and/or inflamed, it may lead to symptoms of ocular hyperaemia, discomfort, pain, foreign body sensation, tearing, and itching. There is no FDA-approved therapy for the indication of vascularised pinguecula.

CBT-004 is a potent VEGFRs inhibitor with sub nanomolar potency. It can also inhibit PDGFRs that are responsible for blood vessel maintenance. Cumulative exposure to UV light is the main cause of pinguecula. UV-induced mutations of the gene may promote abnormal cell growth of pinguecula lesion. At later stages, pinguecula often shows increased vascularisation that is dependent on the VEGF pathway. The mechanism of CBT-004 for treating vascularised pinguecula is to block VEGF signal to reduce the abnormal vascularity associated with late stage pinguecula and stop or reverse the progression of the lesion.