Bausch + Lomb said its Phase 2 study of BL1107, a neuroprotective candidate for glaucoma, did not meet its primary endpoint, and the company has decided not to advance the topical eye drop formulation in that indication.

The trial enrolled 159 adults with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension and compared BL1107 against timolol, an established glaucoma therapy, over 28 days of topical administration. The study was designed to replicate visual function improvements observed in an earlier, smaller Phase 1/2a trial, but the Phase 2 results showed no meaningful change from baseline in visual field mean deviation, the primary measure of the drug’s neuroprotective effect. Secondary endpoints, including low-luminance best-corrected visual acuity responder rates, also failed to reach statistical significance.

The company said BL1107’s safety profile in the Phase 2 study was consistent with its prior clinical experience, with no new safety signals identified. Based on the totality of the data, Bausch + Lomb said it will not continue development of BL1107 as a topical eye drop for glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

The company said it will instead prioritize a small-molecule, sustained-release implant designed for geographic atrophy, an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration, with trials expected to begin in 2028. That shift reflects a broader pattern in ophthalmology drug development, where sustained-release and implantable delivery formats have drawn increasing investment as companies look for ways to reduce the treatment burden associated with frequent topical or injectable dosing.

Glaucoma neuroprotection has proven to be a persistently difficult target for drug developers. Multiple candidates over the past decade have shown promise in early, small-cohort studies only to fail to replicate those effects once tested in larger, more rigorously controlled Phase 2 populations, a pattern BL1107’s trajectory now appears to follow. The company’s decision to redirect toward geographic atrophy, an indication with substantial unmet need and a clearer regulatory pathway following recent approvals in the category, suggests Bausch + Lomb sees a more tractable near-term opportunity outside glaucoma.