Noveome Biotherapeutics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing next-generation biologics for the promotion and restoration of cellular integrity of inflamed or damaged tissues, has started a phase one open label clinical trial to establish the safety of ST266 when delivered intranasally in patients diagnosed with intraocular hypertension who have not yet developed optic nerve damage, it was reported on Friday.

The product is a novel 'secretome,' cell-free platform biologic, containing hundreds of proteins and other biological factors involved in cellular healing. It is administered as a nasal spray using the SipNose Ltd device and is delivered to the cribriform plate, located at the back of the upper nasal cavity directly to the optic nerve and brain, bypassing the blood-brain barrier.

The University of Pennsylvania is conducting the phase one open label clinical trial, which is designed to evaluate the safety of intranasally delivered ST266 in patients diagnosed with a pre-glaucoma condition called intraocular hypertension, characterised by a lack of damage to the optic nerve.