Nintedanib Eye Formulation for Glaucoma Surgery Scar Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Glaucoma filtration surgery is prone to high failure rates due to excessive postoperative wound healing with subsequent fibrosis and scar formation, leading to obstruction of drainage and loss of intraocular pressure control.

Innovation Solution

Administering nintedanib, a kinase inhibitor, in the form of topical ocular formulations or implants to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, platelet-derived growth factor receptors, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2, thereby blocking key pathogenic factors involved in excess wound healing and scar formation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If glaucoma filtration surgery is performed to reduce intraocular pressure, then fluid drainage is improved, but scar formation and fibrosis occur at the surgical site

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuccess rate of glaucoma surgeryVSAvoidscar formation and fibrosis
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by administering nintedanib topically to the eye before or during glaucoma filtration surgery to prevent scar formation and fibrosis before they can develop. The drug is applied in the surgical solution or as a preoperative drop, proactively inhibiting pathological wound healing processes before they cause harm to the filtration site.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Nintedanib serves as an intermediary substance that mediates between the surgical trauma and the harmful fibrotic response. The drug inhibits receptor tyrosine kinases (VEGFR, PDGFR, FGFR) that are overactivated during wound healing, thereby blocking the signal transduction pathway that leads to excessive scar formation and fibrosis at the filtration site.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If excessive wound healing occurs to close the surgical site, then wound closure is achieved, but filtration is obstructed and pressure control is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewound closureVSAvoidfiltration obstruction
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by selectively inhibiting wound healing at the filtration site where excessive scarring is harmful, while allowing normal wound healing to proceed in other areas of the eye. Nintedanib is topically applied to concentrate the drug locally at the surgical site, where it specifically targets and inhibits pathological fibrosis and scar formation that would obstruct filtration, without compromising overall wound closure integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances the success of glaucoma surgery by extending the duration of reduced intraocular pressure, improving bleb survival, and reducing scar formation, thus increasing the success rate of glaucoma filtration surgery.

Implementation Method 1

nintedanib, a kinase inhibitor, in the form of topical ocular formulations or implants to inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, platelet-derived growth factor receptors, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 2

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectKinase inhibition:

Data Source

PatentEP3463225B1Nintedanib for reducing scar formation at the site of glaucoma filtration surgery
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 ADS THERAPEUTICS LLC
  • EP3463225B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3463225B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3463225B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Compositions and methods of using nintedanib for improving the success rate of glaucoma filtration surgery are disclosed herein. Nintedanib can be used alone or in combination with an anti-metabolite drug in a topical or implant eye formulation.