Qlaris Bio reports the first patient has been dosed in its phase 2 Nightingale clinical trial evaluating QLS-111 in patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG). Nightingale is Qlaris Bio’s third phase 2 clinical trial of QLS‑111 and seeks to build upon the positive clinical data generated in the earlier Osprey and Apteryx clinical trials, according to the company.

QLS-111 is a first-in-class ATP-sensitive potassium channel modulator designed to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) by reducing episcleral venous pressure (EVP), an element of the outflow system that sets the floor for IOP-lowering therapies. The novel mechanism of QLS-111 is especially relevant for patients with NTG, whose pressures remain within the normal range but who continue to experience disease progression, the company said in a press release. 

The Nightingale study will be conducted in South Korea, because that country provides access to a large NTG patient population due to its high prevalence in Asia. GP