Two firms to distribute dry eye therapy

Richmond, TX-OCuSOFT, Inc. and Ardeo Health, LLC have entered into an exclusive, multi-year agreement to distribute a dry eye therapy under license from Novagali Pharma S.A. of Evry, France. The therapy, Nova23041, will be marketed and distributed in the United States and Canada as Retaine MGD Ophthalmic Emulsion under a brand license from OCuSOFT, Inc.

The preservative-free, oil-in-water emulsion will be targeted for individuals suffering from meibomian gland dysfunction.

According to Novagali, thanks to the company’s proprietary cationic process of binding positively charged ions to the negatively charged ocular surface, the emulsion will prolong corneal contact time, resulting in enhanced comfort.

“OCuSOFT has been searching for a truly unique proprietary dry eye therapy [that] also combines a long-term partnership-and we have found that with Ardeo Health and Novagali,” said Cynthia Barratt, president and chief executive officer of OCuSOFT. “I believe [this ophthalmic emulsion] will become the standard of care for those suffering [from] meibomian gland deficiencies.”

Jérôme Martinez, chairman of Novagali Pharma, said, “Given their proven expertise in the North American ophthalmology market, OCuSOFT’s teams will no doubt make Nova23041’s launch in the United States and Canada a success that will enable us to extend the distribution of our unique formulation for treating dry eye symptoms around the world.”

Ardeo Health, based in Suwanee, GA, specializes in research, development, and licensing of advanced-technology pharmaceutical products, consumer health products, and medical devices.