Dry eyes eased ... by a drop of Norway fungus

Drops made from fungi discovered in Norwegian soil could be the latest weapon in the battle with weepy, sore eyes.

The eye drops, newly approved for prescription, contain ciclosporin, a compound that controls inflammation by suppressing the immune system.

And like antibiotic penicillin and cholesterollowering statin drugs, the active ingredient is derived from a type of fungus.

In this case it is Tolypocladium inflatum, first isolated in the late 1960s from soil samples from the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in Norway.

The eye drops, brand name Ikervis, could benefit the tens of thousands who suffer dry eye syndrome, where the eye cannot make enough natural lubricating oil.

Without this oil, tears evaporate quickly, leading to discomfort, pain, swelling and excessive watering.

In severe cases, the syndrome can lead to keratitis where the eye becomes so inflamed that the front part (cornea) is damaged and people are robbed of their vision.

Cold weather can exacerbate symptoms, while some patients find relief from warm compresses that stimulate natural oil secretions in the eye.

A six-month trial of 246 patients showed significant improvements in symptoms in those who were given once-daily Ikervis drops.

Those treated with the drug had 46% fewer defects in their cornea than those not on the drug. Signs of inflammation to the eye’s surface were also reduced.

Opthalmologist Professor Francisco Figueiredo, from Newcastle University, said Ikervis could make a ‘real difference’ to patients.