An eye drug that protects nerves earned fast-track labels from regulators on two continents

Optic neuritis strikes suddenly — inflammation of the nerve connecting eye to brain, often an early sign of multiple sclerosis — and no approved treatment protects the nerve itself. A candidate called privosegtor, from Swiss-based Oculis, is trying to be the first: in the Phase 2 ACUITY trial it improved patients' visual function, preserved retinal anatomy and lowered a blood marker of nerve damage. The results have earned it Breakthrough Therapy designation from the US Food and Drug Administration and PRIME priority status from the European Medicines Agency, and the company is now running the larger PIONEER trials that could lead to approval.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation