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Uveitis is a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by dangerous inflammation of the middle layer of tissue in the eye wall (uvea). The causes of uveitis are infection, injury, or an autoimmune or inflammatory disease. Uveitis warning signs often come on suddenly and get worse quickly, including eye redness, pain and blurred vision. Uveitis can be serious, leading to permanent vision loss, responsible for 10-15% of blindness in the US.

The type of uveitis depends on which part or parts of the eye are inflamed: Anterior uveitis also called iritis, is the most common type of uveitis, affecting the inside of the front eye (between the cornea and the iris) and the ciliary body. Intermediate uveitis affects the retina and blood vessels behind the lens (pars plana) as well as the gel in the center of the eye (vitreous). Posterior uveitis affects a layer on the inside of the eye back, either the retina or the choroid. Panuveitis occurs when all layers of the uvea are inflamed, from the front to the back (summarized from mayoclinic.gov).

Usually the treatment for uveitis is the same regardless of the associated cause, and the treatment goal is to reduce the inflammation. Several options are available to reduce inflammation, to control spasms, to fight bacteria or viruses, and to affect the immune system or destroy cells by immunosuppression (summarized from mayoclinic.gov). Current treatments including corticosteroids and immunosuppressor have side effects, limiting their utility.

Worg believes there is high unmet medical needs and Apitope technology could potentially provide patients with novel, safe and effective treatments. WP1305 is currently in discovery stage and peptide candidate selection.