Phytopharm gets TSB grant to support development of Myogane in glaucoma

UK-based Phytopharm (LSE: PYM) has been awarded a grant by the Technology Strategy Board to provide funding to support the evaluation of Myogane (PYM 50018), one of its lead product candidates, in an in vivo preclinical model of glaucoma.

Myogane has the potential to be a neuro-protectant treatment of glaucoma. Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease of the eye affecting 60 million people and is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Current treatments of glaucoma are predominantly targeted at reducing intra ocular pressure within the eye, however the remains a major unmet medical need for treatments which can slow the underlying neurodegenerative disease process.

Myogane has demonstrated neuro-protective and neuro-restorative effects in a range of neuronal cell types including retinal ganglion cells, which are the cells affected in glaucoma. Myogane exhibits its effect via the modulation of neurotrophic factors, naturally occurring proteins which protect and promote the growth of neurones and which have been shown to be effective in protecting against neurodegeneration in a number of models of glaucoma.