Ophthalmology Month in Review: June 2025

Despite being a relatively quiet month on the part of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), June saw several discoveries in cross-specialty drug usage and disease indication. Between pseudoexfoliation predicting glaucoma and GLP-1 RAs being linked to neovascular age-related macular degeneration, June has had its fair share of ups and downs for the field of ophthalmology.

HCPLive also attended the 2025 American Optometry Association Conference in Minneapolis, MN. While on-site, the editorial team interviewed a host of clinicians, researchers, and specialists about the latest findings and presentations in the field, including inherited genetic diseases and dry eye disease medications.

FDA News

FDA Approves Prednisolone Acetate Ophthalmic Suspension for Ocular Inflammation

The lone key approval of the month, on June 12, prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension, USP 1% was approved for the treatment of steroid-responsive ocular inflammation, with a planned launch date in the third quarter of 2025. A sterile, topical anti-inflammatory agent, prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension is a self-administered eye drop to be used 2-4 times daily.

Aldeyra Therapeutics Resubmits Reproxalap NDA in Dry Eye Disease

On June 17, 2025, Aldeyra Therapeutics announced the resubmission of their New Drug Application to the FDA for reproxalap, which previously received 2 Complete Response Letters. With the latest FDA response indicating possible methodological issues in previous trials resolved, Aldeyra indicated hope that its latest phase 3 trial results will result in acceptance for the first-in-class RASP modulator.

HCPLive at AOA 2025

Approaches to and Advancements in Rare Inherited Genetic Diseases, with Roya Attar, OD

Because inherited retinal diseases are one of the leading causes of blindness in several countries, Roya Attar, OD, associate professor and director of optometric services at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, encourages clinicians to use genetic testing not only as a method of diagnosis, but also to discount potential false positives. Furthermore, Attar called for pharmaceutical companies to make their data accessible to clinicians and for clinicians to refer patients to clinical trials for treatment. She acknowledged some of the best topline care comes from investigations.

Perfluorohexyloctane for Dry Eye Disease and Patient Satisfaction, with Crystal Brimer, OD

Approved in 2023, perfluorohexyloctane is an extremely successful moderator of tear evaporation in dry eye disease. In this interview with HCPLive, Crystal Brimer, OD, Dry Eye Equation, discussed a study she recently conducted investigating patient satisfaction with perfluorohexyloctane based on prescription refill rates; in doing so, she discovered a surprisingly high percentage of patients taking PFHO (or its comparator cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion .05%) who were not diagnosed with DED at all.

Lifitegrast 5% Improves All Biomarkers of Dry Eye Disease, Study Suggests

Another study from AOA 2025 focused on lifitegrast, a drug approved in 2016 for use in dry eye disease, and its effectiveness in improving DED’s clinical biomarkers. Investigators found improvement in tear osmolarity, the Schirmer test, TBUT, fluorescein staining, lissamine green testing, and OSDI scores, implying substantial efficacy in treating all signs and symptoms of DED.

New Ophthalmology Research

Long-Approved HIV Drug Yields Positive Results in Treating Diabetic Macular Edema

A study out of Brazil noted the possibility of lamivudine, an inexpensive oral drug for HIV, to mitigate diabetic macular edema. If larger future trials pan out the same way, this potential DME treatment could revolutionize the way the disease is approached, eliminating the need for monthly intravitreal injections.

Common Diabetes Treatment May Cause Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

GLP-1 RAs are a wildly popular treatment method for type 2 diabetes, increasing glucose transporter expression in pancreatic cells and improving insulin secretion in response to raised glucose content. However, based on a pair of major phase 3a trials, a recent study of GLP-1 RAs has indicated a substantial correlation between the medication and nAMD, consistent with the growing body of literature questioning the drug’s safety.

Research Shows Pseudoexfoliation May Accurately Predict Glaucoma

Despite being a known risk factor for open-angle glaucoma, pseudoexfoliation syndrome – more specifically, the ensuing reduction in thickness of the ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer – could potentially serve as a reliable predictor of glaucoma. Additionally, these macular changes can possibly reflect the retinal neurodegeneration linked to neurodegenerative diseases.