ESBA105, an anti-TNF alpha antibody fragment designed to reduce inflammation in patients undergoing cataract surgery, has begun a Phase Ib/IIa trial, according to an announcement from ESBATech AG, the antibody's developer.

The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will assess the safety, tolerability, ocular pharmacokinetics and efficacy of postoperative inflammation inhibition of ESBA105, when applied topically to patients undergoing cataract surgery.

The Phase I trial of ESBA105, which was concluded in August 2008, demonstrated that ESBA105 was able to penetrate both the anterior and the posterior of the eye effectively, and to be present in significant levels in the vitreous. The primary investigator in the Phase Ib/IIa study is Michael A. Thiel, MD, PhD, head of the department of ophthalmology at the Kantonsspital, Lucerne, Switzerland.