Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an approvable letter for diquafosol tetrasodium ophthalmic solution for the treatment of dry eye.

In the letter, the FDA requested that Inspire provide an additional clinical study. Inspire plans to meet with the FDA as soon as possible to determine whether study 03-108, which was completed after the New Drug Application was submitted, will be sufficient to meet this requirement. No other specific deficiencies were noted in the approvable letter. The letter indicated that comments on proposed labeling will be provided by the FDA when the clinical issues have been adequately addressed.

Christy L Shaffer, PhD, Inspire's CEO, stated, "We are committed to working with the FDA to address the agency's additional requirements for approval of this important product."

Dry eye is a painful, burning and irritating condition involving abnormalities and deficiencies in the tear film due to a variety of causes. It affects approximately 10 million North Americans and is one of the most frequent patient complaints reported to ophthalmologists and optometrists. The majority of dry eye patients rely on artificial tears to relieve symptoms.

Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discovers and develops new drugs to treat diseases characterized by deficiencies in the body's innate defense mechanisms of mucosal hydration and mucociliary clearance, as well as other non-mucosal disorders. Mucosal defense mechanisms are the natural way that the body defends its mucosal surfaces against dust, pollutants, bacteria and viruses. Inspire's lead product candidates target ophthalmic and respiratory diseases with inadequate current treatments and which represent large therapeutic market opportunities.