Question 1

What is neurotrophic keratitis, and why does NGF treat it?

Accepted Answer

Neurotrophic keratitis is a rare corneal disease caused by damage to the corneal nerves — often from herpes eye infections, diabetes, surgery, or chemical injury. Without normal nerve signaling, the cornea becomes numb and loses its ability to maintain and heal its own surface, which can progress to persistent defects, ulceration, and threatened vision. Nerve growth factor is the trophic signal those nerves and surface cells depend on, so delivering it as cenegermin eye drops targets the underlying cause rather than just lubricating the eye.

Question 2

Is cenegermin a research peptide or an approved drug?

Accepted Answer

It is an approved biologic medicine (Oxervate), authorized by the FDA and EMA for neurotrophic keratitis and prescribed by ophthalmologists. It is a recombinant human nerve growth factor eye drop, not a wellness or grey-market 'growth-factor peptide.' It should not be confused with injectable products marketed in the research-peptide space. This page is an educational reference on the approved therapy.

Question 3

How is cenegermin used?

Accepted Answer

The approved regimen is one drop in the affected eye six times a day, roughly every two hours while awake, for an eight-week course. The drops are preservative-free and require specific cold storage and handling. Because dosing, storage, and monitoring are exacting and the condition is serious, treatment is managed entirely by an eye specialist rather than self-directed.

Question 4

Does cenegermin cure the eye disease permanently?

Accepted Answer

An 8-week course of cenegermin significantly improves corneal healing in trials, and healing was maintained in many patients during follow-up, but outcomes vary and some cases may need further management or repeat treatment depending on the underlying nerve damage. It is best understood as a disease-modifying therapy that promotes healing of the neurotrophic cornea, not a guaranteed permanent cure. Ongoing care addresses the original cause of the nerve damage.

Question 5

Why can cenegermin cause eye pain when it works?

Accepted Answer

Mild eye pain or discomfort on instillation is the most common side effect, and it partly reflects the drug's mechanism. Neurotrophic keratitis makes the cornea numb; as nerve function and corneal sensation begin to recover with NGF treatment, the eye can start to feel sensation again, which may be experienced as discomfort. It is generally manageable and monitored by the treating ophthalmologist.

Origin / Manufacturer	Recombinant human nerve growth factor (rhNGF), E. coli expressed
Active Components	Cenegermin (rhNGF)
Storage	Frozen until dispensed; refrigerated during the in-use treatment week per label
Shelf Life	Per manufacturer labeling (multidose vial used across a treatment week)
Form Factor	Preservative-free ophthalmic (eye-drop) solution

Cenegermin

Specifications

Clinical Evidence

Frequently Asked Questions

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