SIFI Launches SYNFO, A New Treatment For Dry Eye Disease

The innovative formulation enlarges the company's dry eye portfolio

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Jan 07, 2021, 10:35 ET

CATANIA, Italy, Jan. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SIFI, a leading international ophthalmic company, announces the launch of SYNFO, a novel medical device representing the latest addition to its comprehensive dry eye portfolio.

Marketed under SIFI's well-known dry eye umbrella brands, it is now commercially available in Italy as Hyalistil SYNFO, in Romania as Lubristil SYNFO and will be soon available in other Countries as Eyestil SYNFO.

SIFI headquarters in Catania, ITALY. SIFI concentrates its R&D and manufacturing in Italy and exports towards more than 20 countries with a direct presence in Italy, Spain, France, Romania, Mexico and Turkey.

The new hypotonic formulation is a synergistic blend of two polymers, sodium hyaluronate and xanthan gum, and two osmoprotectants, betaine and glycine. In addition to moisturizing and lubricating, SYNFO is designed to compensate tear instability, restore tears' volume and ocular surface's health, as well as provide antioxidant and osmoprotective properties.

"Listening to patients' needs and leveraging on our long experience with sodium hyaluronate and xanthan gum, we developed a new formulation able to work synergistically with osmoprotectants to restore homeostasis and reduce proinflammatory activated genes in dry eye conditions, when oxidative and hyperosmolar stresses are present on the ocular surface. This was confirmed in pre-clinical data and promising initial feedback by patients using SYNFO, who reported rapid and lasting relief in signs and symptoms," said Maria Grazia Mazzone, SIFI's Business and Portfolio Development Director. "Thanks to the optimal ratio between the two polymers and its high pseudoplasticity, the new formulation appears to be retained longer and more comfortably on the ocular surface with no blurred vision in more than 90% of those early users."

"SIFI was a pioneer in the 1980's introducing sodium hyaluronate as a treatment for the ocular surface and continued to innovate with our proprietary xantham gum platform," said Fabrizio Chines, SIFI's Chairman and CEO. "SYNFO, representing another evidence of our long-standing commitment to dry eye, combines the benefits of those technologies and osmoprotectants in a single product."

About Dry Eye

Dry eye disease is one of the most frequent causes of patient visits to eye care practitioners and a global unmet need afflicting over 344 million people worldwide. Dry eye can make it more difficult to perform everyday activities, such as using a computer or reading for an extended period of time, and it can decrease tolerance for dry environments. The incidence of dry eye is increasing due to the growing use of digital tools; further, the widespread use of face mask, essential to combat COVID-19's spread, is often associated to dry eye (Mask Associated Dry Eye)^[1].

About SIFI

SIFI is a leading ophthalmic company, headquartered in Italy, focusing on eye care since 1935. SIFI develops, manufactures, and markets innovative therapeutic solutions for patients with ophthalmic conditions. SIFI is fully committed through its R&D to improve the quality of life of patients, exporting treatments to more than 20 countries worldwide with a direct presence in Italy, Spain, France, Romania, Mexico and Turkey.

1 Face Mask-Associated Ocular Irritation and Dryness; Ophthalmol Ther (2020) 9:397–400

SOURCE SIFI S.p.A.