New Glaucoma Eye Drop Research
Madrid's Gregorio Marañón Hospital Investigates New Eye Drops for Glaucoma to Prevent Blindness
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Researchers at Madrid's Hospital Gregorio Marañón are developing an eye drop that could protect retinal neurons in glaucoma patients — not just lower eye pressure. The treatment uses Cilastatin, a drug already approved since 1985, which animal tests show can shield the cells that die as glaucoma progresses. According to Comunidad de Madrid, the team plans to begin Phase I human trials in 2027.
Glaucoma affects roughly 1.3 million people in Spain, and up to 500,000 of them don't know they have it, according to La Provincia. Current treatments control eye pressure but fail to stop cell death in more than 45% of cases. A drug that directly protects neurons would be a first.
Why Pressure Drops Alone Are Not Enough
Glaucoma kills retinal ganglion cells — the neurons that carry visual signals to the brain. Doctors have long treated it by lowering intraocular pressure, but that approach has a major gap. Teresa Tarragó, CEO of Telara Pharma, put it plainly: "With current drugs, in more than 45% of cases, the disease continues to progress because there is no treatment that protects the neurons of the retina," according to Levante EMV.
About 10% of patients go fully blind within 7 to 15 years under current care, according to El Periódico de Aragón. The Marañón team argues that neuroprotection — keeping neurons alive — must become a second layer of treatment alongside pressure-lowering drops.
Cilastatin: A 40-Year-Old Drug With a New Purpose
Cilastatin was originally designed to protect kidneys from drug toxicity. In 2017, researchers at the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón discovered it shielded kidney cells from chemotherapy damage. Then, in April 2024, a study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science proved for the first time that Cilastatin also protects retinal neurons and reduces inflammation in mouse models of glaucoma, according to Diario de Mallorca.
Repurposing an already-approved drug cuts the regulatory burden significantly. Cilastatin's safety record spans four decades of clinical use. Biotechnology analysts note this makes Telara Pharma's path to market faster and cheaper than developing a brand-new compound from scratch, according to La Opinión de Málaga.
€1.16 Million Fuels the Push Toward Human Trials
The research consortium — Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and spin-off Telara Pharma — has secured €1,166,000 in combined public and private funding. That includes €841,000 in collaborative grants and €325,000 from Spain's Neotec program, according to El Periódico Mediterráneo. The Comunidad de Madrid is the lead institutional sponsor.
Telara Pharma also received
Telara Pharma also received Spain's
Billions at Stake If the Eye Drop Reaches Patients
Visual impairment from glaucoma is projected to cost Spain €33.6 billion between 2021 and 2030, according to El Periódico de Extremadura. Informal care — family members looking after blind relatives — makes up 78% of that burden. A drug that slows blindness could cut those costs sharply.
Independent ophthalmologists urge caution. The eye drop is still years from pharmacy shelves, and experts stress that patients should keep using their current pressure-lowering treatments. If Phase I trials go as planned in 2027, broader testing and approval could still take several more years, according to La Nueva España.
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