UCL-led researchers launch a world-first project targeting low eye pressure, offering new hope for patients at risk of vision loss and glaucoma-related damage
Researchers at University College London (UCL) are leading a world-first project targeting low eye pressure, offering fresh hope to patients at risk of vision loss and complex forms of glaucoma. The pioneering research explores a simple, low-cost treatment that could transform care for people with a rare and previously untreatable condition.
A UCL-led research team has reported encouraging early results for treating abnormally low eye pressure, a condition linked to progressive sight loss and structural damage to the eye. The innovative approach has the potential to fill a major treatment gap, particularly for patients whose condition does not respond to existing therapies.
The research has been published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.
Addressing an unmet clinical need for low eye pressure
The study focuses on patients diagnosed with hypotony, a condition characterised by abnormally low pressure inside the eye. For many patients, hypotony develops following underlying eye disease or surgery that damages the structures responsible for producing the fluid that maintains normal eye pressure. Until now, treatment options have been extremely limited, leaving patients at risk of permanent vision loss.
Researchers aimed to address this unmet need by restoring the eye’s normal structure rather than simply managing symptoms. Many participants in the study had experienced worsening vision over time and had few remaining clinical options.
Low eye pressure causes the eye to lose its normal shape and stability. Over time, these changes can damage delicate internal tissues, leading to blurred vision, visual distortion and, in severe cases, blindness. Because hypotony is relatively rare, it has historically received less research attention than high eye pressure and glaucoma, leaving patients with few effective treatments.
A simple, low-cost treatment approach
The study tested the use of ocular injections containing hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), a low-cost gel commonly used during eye surgery. Researchers found that injecting HPMC into the eye safely increased eye volume, restoring both eye size and internal pressure in patients with hypotony.
Importantly, the treatment uses materials already familiar to ophthalmologists, potentially making it easier to adopt in clinical practice if further trials confirm its effectiveness.
Beyond restoring eye anatomy, the treatment delivered striking functional benefits. Seven of the eight patients who received the injections experienced improvements in vision, eye pressure and eye length after a 12-month course of treatment. All participants were treated at the world’s first dedicated hypotony clinic, established with funding from Moorfields Eye Charity.
Experts describe results as transformative
Commenting on the findings, Moorfields consultant ophthalmologist and lead author Harry Petrushkin said the results were highly encouraging for patients with this rare condition. He noted that the treatment marked an important step toward a better understanding of fluid balance in the eye and toward improving long-term care.
Co-author Professor Gus Gazzard from the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital described the therapy as transformative, offering hope to patients who previously had no effective options. While the results are promising, he emphasised that further research and funding will be essential to refine the treatment and make it widely available.
