Real Life Data on Efficacy and Safety of Topical NGF Eye Drops (Cenegermin)

Topical NGF eye drops (Cenegermin) were approved in 2015 as an orphan drug for the treatment of neurotrophic keratopathy (NK). The active substance Cenegermin is a recombinant form of human NGF (nerve growth factor).

Presentation of efficacy and safety of Cenegermin for use in patients in an university real-life setting.

Retrospective study at the Köln University Eye Hospital from 2017 to 2019 with n = 11 eyes. Average follow-up was 13.5 ± 7.1 months. Reasons for treatment were neurotrophic keratopathy stage II and III, clinically mostly in combination with corneal neovascularization.

Seven eyes with a NK II and 4 eyes with a NK III with a median observation period of 13.6 months (range 1.2 - 20.3 months) from a total of 11 patients were included. The median patient age was 42.8 ± 23.6 years (range 18 - 75 years). Before the start of therapy, the median erosion area measured 3.1 ± 1.4 × 1.9 ± 1.1 mm and the median ulcer area had a size of 2.3 ± 1.1 × 2.1 ± 0.8 mm. After the start of therapy with Cenegermin (application 6×/day), the epithelial defect closed in all 11 study eyes (100%) within 4 - 12 weeks (mean: 49 d ± 9 d). In 9 out of 10 patients (90%) pre-existing corneal neovascularization regressed significantly (p < 0.001). Before the start of therapy, a value in the Luneau test of 2.9 ± 1.9 (minimum 1/6, maximum 4/6) was found and rose to a median value of 4.2 ± 1.7 (minimum 2/6, maximum 6/6) after 18 months (p = 0.015). Therapy with Cenegermin had no long-term effect on intraocular pressure: the pressure ranged between 13.2 ± 4.1 mmHg (minimum 8 mmHg, maximum 21 mmHg). Under therapy with NGF eye drops, 67% of the patients, after an initial decrease, showed a long-term improvement in visual acuity (BSCVA) from 0.72 ± 0.31 to 0.46 ± 0.29 logMAR after 18 months (p = 0.005). Relapses in form of a corneal erosion in the long-term follow-up were observed in only one eye. One patient had to stop therapy because of local pain, no other local and systemic side effects were observed.

This real-life series on the use of Cenegermin in a university context shows a good effectiveness of the substance for epithelial closure in various underlying diseases (100% within 12 weeks). There is a long-term improvement in vision and corneal sensitivity. Larger real-life cohorts with various underlying diseases should follow.