First acanthamoeba keratitis treatment approved by European Commission

Approval has been granted by the European Commission for the first treatment for adults and children from 12 years of age living with acanthamoeba keratitis.

The drug, Akantior, was approved after 15 years of research supported by University College London (UCL) and Moorfields Eye Hospital.

Professor John Dart from UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields was the principal investigator of a Phase 3 clinical trial. He said: ‘This breakthrough offers significant improvement over current treatment options and has the potential to prevent blindness and save eyes.’

The trial in 2023 involved 127 people treated for acanthamoeba keratitis at six hospitals across Europe and it found Akantior achieved medical cure rates of over 86% when used with the detailed drug delivery protocol.