Summary
Cyclosporine has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Glaucoma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Glaucoma. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Cyclosporine to Glaucoma: 3 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT02114073). The largest enrolment is 43 participants (NCT00405431). Registration activity spans 2004 to 2018. The literature layer holds 9 publications for this pair: 2 Cochrane reviews, 2 systematic reviews and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2003 to 2026. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Glaucoma ranks 339 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Progressive optic nerve damage without treatment; average visual field loss 0.5-1.0 dB/year; blindness in 10-20% without treatment; no spontaneous recovery of lost vision.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 54.5 (trials 8.5, literature 26.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 3 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 3 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 9 (5 clinical trial publications, 2 Cochrane reviews, 2 systematic reviews) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ABCA1 |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02114073 | Comparison of Effect of Postoperative Cyclosporine A 2% Ophthalmic Emulsion and Betamethasone Eye Drop on Surgical Success of Trabeculectomy Procedure 2014 | completed | Phase 2 | 40 |
| NCT04673604 | From Preserved, to Preservative-free Cyclosporine 0.1% Enhanced Triple Glaucoma Therapy 2018 | completed | Not applicable | 42 |
| NCT00405431 | Will Restasis Eye Drops Increase Your Chance of Having a Successful Surgery? 2004 | completed | Not applicable | 43 |
Published literature
- Cochrane review Topical immunosuppressants for blepharitis in adultsKam KW, Mehraban Far P, Yim TW et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2026 · PMID 42153421
- Clinical trial publication Comparison of postoperative cyclosporine 2.0% versus betamethasone 0.1% eye drops following trabeculectomy: A randomized clinical trialBabaei E, Eslampoor A, Daneshvar R · Indian journal of ophthalmology · 2025 · PMID 39446816
- Cochrane review Topical immunosuppressants for blepharitis in adultsKam KW, Mehraban Far P, Yim TW et al. · The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025 · PMID 41263273
- Clinical trial publication Efficacy of Topical 0.05% Cyclosporine A for Ocular Surface Disease Related to Topical Anti-Glaucoma MedicationsKim JG, An JH, Cho SY et al. · Journal of ocular pharmacology and therapeutics : the official journal of the Association for Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 2023 · PMID 37267211
- Clinical trial publication Changing from preserved, to preservative-free cyclosporine 0.1% enhanced triple glaucoma therapy: impact on ocular surface disease-a randomized controlled trialKonstas AG, Boboridis KG, Athanasopoulos GP et al. · Eye (London, England) · 2023 · PMID 37221362
- Systematic review Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis: A Systematic ReviewBruschi G, Ghiglioni DG, Cozzi L et al. · Clinical reviews in allergy & immunology · 2023 · PMID 37658939
- Systematic review Risk Factors for the Development of Ocular Hypertension After Keratoplasty: A Systematic ReviewLiesenborghs I, Schouten JSAG, Berendschot TTJM et al. · Cornea · 2020 · PMID 31764288
- Clinical trial publication Effects of postoperative cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Restasis) following glaucoma surgeryFakhraie G, Lopes JF, Spaeth GL et al. · Clinical & experimental ophthalmology · 2009 · PMID 20092592
- Clinical trial publication Vernal keratoconjunctivitis in ThailandKosrirukvongs P, Vichyanond P, Wongsawad W · Asian Pacific journal of allergy and immunology · 2003 · PMID 12931748
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ABCA1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cyclosporine approved for Glaucoma?
Cyclosporine has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Glaucoma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Glaucoma. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Cyclosporine in clinical trials for Glaucoma?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Cyclosporine to Glaucoma: 3 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT02114073). The largest enrolment is 43 participants (NCT00405431). Registration activity spans 2004 to 2018.
What does the evidence show for Cyclosporine in Glaucoma?
Cyclosporine has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Glaucoma. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ABCA1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.