Shire announced that the company has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) with the US Food and Drug Administration for its investigational compound lifitegrast for the treatment of signs and symptoms of dry eye disease in adults.

“Lifitegrast has potential to be the first treatment indicated to address both the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease, a chronic inflammatory condition which affects millions of people,” says Philip J. Vickers, head of research and development, Shire. “Our FDA submission is an important milestone that underscores Shire’s commitment to developing innovative specialty medicines in areas of high unmet medical need.”

The NDA submission is supported by the totality of evidence from four clinical trials with more than 1,800 patients. These included one phase 2 study, two phase 3 efficacy and safety studies, and one long-term phase 3 safety study.

Lifitegrast is a novel small-molecule integrin inhibitor. It binds to the integrin LFA-1 (lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1), a cell surface protein found on leukocytes, and blocks the interaction of LFA-1 with its cognate ligand ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule-1). ICAM-1 is over-expressed in corneal and conjunctival tissues in dry eye disease. LFA-1/ICAM-1 interaction contributes to the formation of immunological synapses resulting in T-cell activation and migration to target tissues.

As defined by the 2007 Dry Eye WorkShop (“DEWS”), sponsored by the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS), dry eye is a multifactorial disease of the tears and ocular surface that results in symptoms of discomfort, visual disturbance, and tear film instability with potential damage to the ocular surface. It is accompanied by increased osmolarity of the tear film and inflammation of the ocular surface. Dry eye, an often chronic and progressive ocular disease, is one of the most common complaints to eye care professionals, and represents a significant unmet medical need.