OCU-001

OCU-001 is an ophthalmic drug candidate being developed by Ocunova as a rapid-acting treatment for dry eye disease associated with diabetes, aiming to address the underlying cause of diabetic dry eye rather than just providing symptomatic relief.[3][9][11][13] The compound is a reformulation of naltrexone, a drug already approved in the United States for the management of alcohol and opioid dependence, repurposed for topical ophthalmic use in diabetic patients with dry eye syndrome.[11][13] By leveraging naltrexone’s pharmacology in a novel ocular formulation, OCU-001 is intended to improve tear film function and ocular surface health specifically in the context of diabetes-related pathophysiology, and has attracted early-stage seed financing to support its clinical development.[3][9][13]