Systematic Literature Review on the Effect of Cenegermin on Corneal Sensation and Innervation in Patients with Neurotrophic Keratopathy.
Simon S M Fung, Cynthia Campos, Justin Weiss et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic literature review assessed changes in corneal sensation (CS) and corneal innervation (CI) after cenegermin treatment in patients with neurotrophic keratopathy (NK). It included 25 English-language studies published between August 2018 and June 2024; quantitative outcomes were available from 8 studies for CS and 3 for CI. At 8 weeks after treatment, the weighted mean improvement from baseline was 116.5% for CS and 64.5% for CI. The review reported greater relative gains in patients with more severe NK, while noting heterogeneity and small study samples.
Key findings
- Across 8 studies with quantitative CS outcomes, weighted mean improvement from baseline to 8 weeks was 116.5% (range: 78.3%-259.3%).
- Across 3 studies with quantitative CI outcomes, weighted mean improvement from baseline to 8 weeks was 64.5% (range: 39.1%-188.9%).
- The review reported greater relative gains in CS and CI among patients with more severe NK.
Why it matters
Corneal sensation and innervation are relevant to the nerve impairment underlying NK. The review’s findings suggest that cenegermin treatment is associated with improvement in both measures, including in populations with moderate and severe disease. These outcomes provide evidence about corneal nerve recovery, although the variation and limited quantitative evidence across studies warrant caution when interpreting the pooled estimates.
What to keep in mind
Study design heterogeneity and small sample sizes may limit generalizability; quantitative outcomes came from only 8 studies for CS and 3 for CI.