Phase II drugs under investigation for allergic conjunctivitis.

INTRODUCTION: Ocular allergies comprise a spectrum of conditions that are underreported and underdiagnosed, and are frequently associated with rhinoconjunctivitis. Although allergic conjunctivitis is often not a sight-threatening condition, it could have a significant impact on a person's quality of life, morbidity and productivity. A variety of agents are available for the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis, including antihistamines, mast-cell stabilizers, dual action agents, glucocorticoids, calcineurin inhibitors and immunotherapy.

AREAS COVERED: The goal of this review is to investigate new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of ocular allergy. Within, the authors analyze the pharmacological management of allergic conjunctivitis and highlight Phase II clinical trial studies.

EXPERT OPINION: Recent findings about the pathophysiology of allergic conjunctivitis have enabled us to gain a better understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of ocular disease. This, in turn, has led to the identification of novel targets, which, in turn, has led to the development of new therapeutic agents that are currently under evaluation in the first phases of clinical development. The most interesting agents, under development, are the new topical glucocorticoids, leukotriene receptor antagonists, resolvins, interleukin-1 receptor antagonists and integrin antagonists. The authors now await promising results, which can confirm the therapeutic value of these novel emerging drugs for treating allergic conjunctivitis.