Filter that removes preservative from eye drops receives venture funding

Biotech startup TearClear has raised $4.5 million to develop their filter technology, which is designed to provide preservative-free delivery of topical medications.

The filter removes the most common preservative in topical ophthalmic drugs—benzalkonium chloride (BAK)—from preserved, multi-dose products at the point of instillation into the eye. Drops are preserved until administration, while the discomfort and side effects associated with BAK are eliminated.

“BAK has been shown to be a significant cause of a host of adverse events with prolonged use, including ocular discomfort, glaucoma surgery failure, conjunctival inflammation and fibrosis, tear film instability, corneal cytotoxicity and anterior chamber inflammation,” commented Richard Lindstrom, MD. “TearClear’s technology offers a compelling and differentiated approach to eliminating the preservative before delivery while allowing it to preserve sterility within the bottle.”