Cenegermin
Dry eye and ocular surface agents
Dry eye and ocular surface agents
Eye drops of recombinant human nerve growth factor that help the cornea heal in neurotrophic keratitis, where corneal nerves are damaged.
Also called: recombinant human nerve growth factor (rhNGF)
Quick facts
- Group
- Dry eye and ocular surface agents
- Target
- TrkA receptor (nerve growth factor receptor)
- Used for
- Neurotrophic keratitis
- Key effects
- Eye pain · Eye redness or swelling · Increased tearing
- Monitor
- Signs of eye infection
- ATC
- S01XA24
No doses: the clinician sets them by the current guideline.
Mechanism of action
The figure shows human nerve growth factor bound to part of its TrkA receptor; cenegermin is the same human protein made by recombinant technology.
In neurotrophic keratitis the corneal nerves are damaged, so the cornea loses sensation and the trophic support it needs to repair its surface. Cenegermin is human nerve growth factor given as eye drops. It acts on TrkA receptors in the cornea, supporting epithelial healing and corneal nerves, so persistent defects and ulcers can close.
- Damaged corneal nerves stop supporting the surface
- Cenegermin supplies nerve growth factor
- It activates TrkA receptors in the cornea
- The corneal epithelium heals
Indications
- Neurotrophic keratitis (neurotrophic keratopathy) Keratitis and corneal ulcer →
Adverse effects
- Eye pain
- Eye redness or swelling
- Increased tearing
- Feeling of something in the eye
- Temporary blurred vision
Contraindications
- Hypersensitivity to cenegermin or any ingredient
Key interactions
- Other eye drops
- The prescriber is told about all eye medicines before treatment
What is monitored
- Healing of the corneal defect at eye examinations
- Signs of eye infection, which are reported
Administration and safety
- Drops are given several times a day for several weeks, at regular times
- Kept refrigerated; each day's vial is discarded at the end of the day, with a new pipette for each drop
- Contact lenses are removed before use and reinserted only after a short wait
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Information on use in pregnancy is limited; patients are asked to tell their doctor if they are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Nursing care
- Teach hand hygiene and the drop technique
- Check storage in the refrigerator, not the freezer
- Warn about temporary blurred vision: no driving until it clears
- Report increasing pain, discharge or loss of vision
Pharmacokinetics
- Absorption
- Applied as eye drops; acts on the ocular surface
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
What protein is cenegermin?
Recombinant human nerve growth factor (NGF).
What is neurotrophic keratitis?
A degenerative corneal disease in which damaged corneal nerves leave the surface unable to heal, so defects and ulcers persist.
Which receptor does nerve growth factor act on?
TrkA, the high-affinity nerve growth factor receptor.
Connections
← Back to the class: Dry eye and ocular surface agents
Educational content on how drugs work; not a prescribing guide and no substitute for a health professional's advice. No doses are given.
Sources: Cenegermin-bkbj Ophthalmic: MedlinePlus Drug Information (MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), 2026); ATCDDD - ATC/DDD Index (WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, 2026); NGF IN COMPLEX WITH DOMAIN 5 OF THE TRKA RECEPTOR (RCSB Protein Data Bank, 2026).
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.