Bausch + Lomb's BL1107 eye drop fails glaucoma vision-function goal
The Phase 2 study lowered eye pressure but missed its visual-field endpoint and key vision secondaries, and Bausch + Lomb is dropping the topical program to focus on an implant for geographic atrophy instead.
Executive Summary
- A mid-stage glaucoma study set out to confirm an earlier visual-function signal and did not replicate it, even as the drug still lowered eye pressure on schedule.
- The sponsor is ending the topical eye-drop version of the program in this indication and redirecting the same molecule toward a different disease and delivery form entirely.
- A secondary measure of eye-pressure reduction was met, showing the drug reached its intended site of action even though the vision-function hypothesis did not hold up at scale.
- The result closes one hypothesis in a field where established drop and device therapies already treat pressure, without altering the broader standard-of-care picture in glaucoma.
The result
Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE/TSX: BLCO) announced on July 9, 2026 that its Phase 2 trial of BL1107 did not meet its primary endpoint, defined as the change from baseline in visual field mean deviation in the study eye at Day 28. The study was designed to replicate visual-function improvements the drug had shown in a smaller Phase 1/2a trial. Key secondary endpoints tied to that same visual-function hypothesis, including low-luminance best-corrected visual acuity responder rates, were also not achieved. A separate secondary endpoint, reduction in intraocular pressure at Day 28, was met, and the company called this evidence of ocular target engagement. Safety was consistent with prior experience with BL1107, with no new safety signals identified. BauschBausch + Lomb Announces Phase 2 Results for Glaucoma Neuroprotective CandidateJul 9, 2026
Probability of SuccessBased on the AppliedXL Probability of Success model. For more information about the methodology, read the research here.
The design
The trial (NCT07168902) was a randomized, double-masked, three-arm, parallel-group study comparing BL1107 eye drops against timolol, an active comparator, in adults with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. It enrolled 159 adults out of a final target of 252 and completed at that enrollment level, with the trial reaching Active, not recruiting status on May 7, 2026. Enrollment moved from an anticipated 228 to an actual 252 over the same registry update, a change within the routine band the operational model treats as typical rather than a flag. The study was not designed as a registrational trial. Bausch+1Bausch + Lomb Announces Phase 2 Results for Glaucoma Neuroprotective CandidateJul 9, 2026Phase 2 Study of BL1107 Eye Drops vs. Timolol in Adults With Primary Open Angle Glaucoma or Ocular HypertensionNCT07168902
The decision
"Success in drug development is based on a portfolio, not a single program," said Yehia Hashad, M.D., executive vice president of R&D and chief medical officer at Bausch + Lomb. The company said it will not advance BL1107 in this indication as a topical eye drop and will instead focus the molecule, acquired with Whitecap Biosciences in 2025, on a sustained-release implant for geographic atrophy, with clinical trials in that indication expected to begin in 2028. That decision ends the glaucoma visual-function hypothesis for this compound rather than triggering a redesign or dose adjustment within the same indication. BauschBausch + Lomb Announces Phase 2 Results for Glaucoma Neuroprotective CandidateJul 9, 2026
The field
Primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension remain served by an established set of small-molecule drop classes, including prostaglandin analogs such as bimatoprost and travoprost, a Rho-kinase inhibitor in netarsudil, and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors such as dorzolamide, alongside device-based options like the Hydrus Microstent and XEN gel stents. None of these named comparators share BL1107's target, since the drug's target and mechanism class were not characterized in this trial's own record. BL1107's read on visual field function, rather than pressure alone, was the differentiating hypothesis this study tested, and its failure to replicate leaves intraocular-pressure control, already served by multiple approved drop and device options, as the therapy class's working answer in this population. NCT07168902Phase 2 Study of BL1107 Eye Drops vs. Timolol in Adults With Primary Open Angle Glaucoma or Ocular HypertensionNCT07168902
This analysis was produced using AI-assisted reporting systems, AppliedXL data, and official public records. These systems undergo editorial review, quality checks, and regular audits by human experts. Errors may still occur, as with any automated system. Always consult the linked primary sources. Read our AI Editorial Policy.