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Objectives: To investigate whether a commercially available amniotic membrane extract (AME) can accelerate corneal wound healing and suppress the early expression of MMP‐9 in the tears of cats with experimentally induced superficial ulcerative keratitis. Procedures: A total number of 16 cats were included. At the end of keratectomy, cats in the treatment group (TG, n = 8) received 40 μl of AME (EyeQ® Amniotic Eye Drops, Vetrix®) four times daily, while cats in the control group (CG, n = 8) received 40 μl of saline at the same time points. Tears were collected 24 and 48 h after keratectomy, and the total MMP‐9 was quantified by ELISA. Results: The corneal re‐epithelialization rate did not differ between groups (p =.26), being 0.48 ± 0.05 mm2/h in the CG and 0.41 ± 0.03 mm2/h in the TG. Similarly, the average time to achieve corneal wound healing did not differ between groups (p =.25) and was 61.50 ± 3.54 h in the CG and 70.50 ± 6.71 h in the TG. The dimensions of the ulcerated areas also did not differ at any time point between the groups (p >.05). In both groups, corneas healed without scarring, pigmentation, or vascularization. The expression of MMP‐9 in the tears was similar in both groups at 24 h post‐keratectomy, with a slight decrease at 48 h (p >.05). Conclusions: The instillation of a commercial AME (EyeQ®) is safe, but it did not decrease the corneal re‐epithelialization time or the early expression of MMP‐9 in the tears of cats with experimentally induced superficial ulcerative keratitis in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Evaluate the safety and efficacy of cryopreserved amniotic cytokine extract (ACE) in the treatment of subjects with dry eye disease (DED). Patients and methods: This was a retrospective, multicenter, chart review of adult patients with DED that instilled cryopreserved ACE drops twice-daily for 4 or 12 weeks. Patients had corneal fluorescein staining (0–20 range) and/or a lissamine green conjunctival staining score (0–18 range) of ≥3 and ≤9 in at least 1 eye and a score ≥40 (0–100 range) of eye dryness/irritation on a visual analog scale (VAS). Following completion of a treatment course, medical records were reviewed from the initiation of therapy (baseline), and at post-treatment visits (4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks). Patient records for visual acuity, adverse events, corneal fluorescein staining, conjunctival lissamine green staining, and symptom scores of ocular dryness/irritation were reviewed for each visit, as available. Safety and tolerability were assessed through the evaluation of patient-reported adverse events recorded in the medical records. Results: A total of 54 eligible patients were identified at 7 clinical sites; 16 patients administered ACE drops for 4-weeks, and 38 patients instilled ACE drops for 12 weeks. Significant improvements in the mean changes from baseline were observed for corneal fluorescein staining, lissamine green staining, visual acuity (LogMar) and VAS ocular symptom scores at the 4-week post-treatment visit (p<0.01). Additional improvements continued out to the 12-week follow-up assessment visits. Two patients discontinued therapy due to reports of ocular burning or foreign body sensation. Conclusion: The cryopreserved ACE formulation was well-tolerated and effective in reducing the clinical signs and symptoms of DED. Conduct of a vehicle-controlled prospective study is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]