Lacripep_Dosage, benefits & legal status
A short piece of a human tear protein, given as eye drops to help the cornea renew itself and its nerves regrow. Its first trial missed its main goal; a nerve-damage trial began in 2026.
Common vial size is what vendors typically sell, not a recommendation. Enter your own vial in the calculator.
What is Lacripep?
Plain language first. The technical label stays, but it never stands alone.Overview
In neurotrophic keratitis the cornea loses its nerve supply and stops healing properly. Lacripep is a piece of a natural tear protein meant to help the eye surface renew itself and its nerves regrow. Its only completed trial, in 204 people with dry eye from Sjögren syndrome, found no significant change in corneal staining or eye dryness after 28 days, with only some post hoc subgroups improving. A phase 2 trial in an estimated 54 people with early neurotrophic keratitis began on February 19, 2026, and has no results yet.
Lacripep is a synthetic linear 19-residue peptide (KQFIENGSEFAQKLLKKFS) with an acetylated N-terminus and an amidated C-terminus, the core of the active C-terminal region of lacritin, a 119-residue human tear glycoprotein; it was found in an unbiased screen at the University of Virginia with National Eye Institute funding and is developed by TearSolutions of Charlottesville, Virginia. It binds syndecan-1 on corneal epithelial cells once heparanase has trimmed its heparan sulfate, triggering mitogenic signaling, and in mice it restored corneal nerves and barrier function in aqueous-deficient dry eye. The company describes its activity as dual neurotrophic and prosecretory.
What it's used for
Nothing outside trials. It is being tested as eye drops three times a day for early neurotrophic keratitis, a cornea that has lost its nerve supply.
How does Lacripep work?
What it does in the body, and where.Lacripep supplies the active piece of lacritin, a protein in natural tears that signals the eye's surface cells.
- 01A piece of a tear proteinLacritin is a 119-residue protein secreted into tears. Its activity sits near its C-terminal end, and Lacripep is the 19-residue core of that region; neighboring parts showed no binding or growth activity in lab tests.
- 02Docking on the corneaOn corneal surface cells, the enzyme heparanase trims sugar chains from syndecan-1, exposing a site Lacripep binds. This starts growth signaling; lacritin's signals inside cells involve the PKC-alpha and NFAT pathways.
- 03Nerves and tearsTearSolutions describes the effect as neurotrophic and prosecretory, supporting nerve health and tear secretion. In mice with dry eye, the drops restored the corneal nerve network and surface barrier despite ongoing immune cell infiltration, the rationale for testing it in neurotrophic keratitis.
A schematic of the compound's mechanism, not a diagnostic image.
What else is it used for?
Each group carries its own evidence level.Approved means regulators have cleared it for that purpose. Investigational means it is in trials. Early research means it is being studied and is not established.
Sjögren-associated dry eye (first-in-human trial)
tested-and-failed- Human trial204 patients on vehicle, 22 or 44 µM for 28 days: total corneal staining and eye dryness were not significantly changed at day 28.
- No dataPost hoc, people with dryness severity of 60 or more improved on inferior corneal staining and burning; these analyses need confirmation.
- Human trialMild irritation in under 3% of those dosed.
Neurotrophic keratitis (2026)
Investigational- Human trialPhase 2, double-masked: 4 µM against vehicle in an estimated 54 people with stage 1 disease; primary endpoint central corneal staining at week 8, secondary corneal sensitivity.
- RegulatoryFDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations announced by TearSolutions on June 2, 2026; grant dates not disclosed.
Mouse dry eye
Research only- Animal studyTopical Lacripep restored the corneal nerve network and epithelial barrier in a mouse model of aqueous-deficient dry eye, despite immune cell infiltration.
How it binds
Research only- Lab studyBinds syndecan-1 only after heparanase removes heparan sulfate; parts of lacritin outside the 19-residue core showed no binding or growth activity.
- Lab studyAt 1 µM it did not trigger calcium influx in corneal cells, unlike a multivalent lacritin peptide fusion (LP-A96) tested alongside it.
The June 2, 2026 announcement of FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations is often credited to the University of Virginia; it was a TearSolutions release that UVA's Licensing and Ventures Group reposted the same day, and UVA is where the peptide was discovered. Reports of the phase 2 trial starting in June 2026 describe the first-patients-dosed announcement; the registry gives an actual start of February 19, 2026. Lacripep is often described as having more human research than many repair peptides; that holds in raw numbers, but its one completed trial (204 patients) missed its primary and key symptom endpoints, and the encouraging results are post hoc. The registry lists that trial's concentrations as 0.005% and 0.01%, and the paper as 22 and 44 µM; these are the same doses. The neurotrophic keratitis trial uses 4 µM, about 5 to 11 times lower. The 2017 trial is registered as phase 1/2, while its official title says phase 2 and the paper calls it first-in-human.
The published record
Papers and trials about Lacripep
6 papers tagged human · 2 not reviews or lab · 1 clinical trial publications
3 registered trials · none with posted results
Furthest stage reached: Phase 2, under way
Counted from Europe PMC indexing, not read by a person; a human tag can land on reviews, commentary or lab papers; clinical trial publications is the narrower count.
At a glance
Four things to know about Lacripep
Evidence
Investigational
Category
Healing and recovery
Common vial
Varies
Half-life
Not established
How much, and do you cycle it?
The range, and whether you take breaks.One drop of 4 µM solution in both eyes three times a day (phase 2 trial), three times a day. Drops three times a day for a fixed trial course Trial dose
The trials gave drops for a set period: 28 days in dry eye and up to 12 weeks in neurotrophic keratitis. Longer use has not been studied.
Not establishedNo figure
No human pharmacokinetic data have been published: no half-life in tears, eye tissue or blood. Fusion versions from the same research group aimed partly at improving delivery, but no residence time for the free peptide has been reported.
You can compare this against the whole library to see where it sits.
What does it cost?
Typical dose and cost, in plain numbers.Lacripep is not injected
It is taken as eye drops. Eye drops at a set concentration, so there is no dose to measure or draw. The dry eye trial gave one drop (about 50 µL) in both eyes three times a day for 28 days, at 22 µM (0.005%) or 44 µM (0.01%), after a 14-day run-in and followed by a 14-day washout. The neurotrophic keratitis trial uses 4 µM in both eyes three times a day: a 2-week vehicle run-in, 8 weeks of Lacripep or vehicle, then 4 weeks of open-label Lacripep for everyone. No source explains the lower concentration; the dry eye paper says work on dosing and concentration was ongoing. Formulation details are not public.
How do you store it?
Before mixing, and after.Eye drops: store them as the label or trial instructions say.
Lacripep is used as eye drops, not mixed from a powder. Keep the bottle or single-use vials as the label or trial instructions say, do not let the tip touch the eye or anything else, and throw away a single-use vial once it has been opened.
What are the side effects and cautions?
Known cautions and warnings for this compound.Solubility, computed: 42% charged residues, 37% hydrophobic. Water usually sufficient.
A first-pass rule from peptide manufacturers' guidance. It does not account for disulfide bridges, salt form or how the powder was dried, and it predicts what should be easy rather than what will happen in your vial.
Who should avoid it
- Not studied in active eye infections, including herpes keratitis in the past year
- Not studied with contact lenses, or with other eye drops including cyclosporine (Restasis) or Xiidra
- Not studied after a corneal transplant or other corneal surgery, or within 90 days of eye surgery
- Not studied in pregnancy or breastfeeding
- Not studied in people under 18
Stop and get help
- Eye pain, spreading redness or discharge, or a drop in vision
- Irritation that persists or worsens after each drop
Common effects
- Mild eye irritation in under 3% of people given Lacripep (204-person trial, 28 days)
- Few adverse events overall; rates for each concentration against the vehicle drops have not been published
- No published safety data beyond 28 days of use; the neurotrophic keratitis trial runs up to 12 weeks
Where this page says nothing is established, that means nobody has studied it, not that a compound is safe.
Is Lacripep approved?
And where the numbers on this page come from.No. Lacripep is not approved anywhere and is currently in company-run clinical trials. There is no legal route to obtain it outside a trial.
- Approval statusInvestigational
- RouteAs eye drops
- Checked16 October 2026
- DoseFrom published clinical trials. Not approved by a regulator for this dose.
- Vial sizeFrom what vendors typically list; not a recommendation.
- SourcesFDA GSRS substance record, Lacripep (UNII 0OZ3G9FQP9)Tauber J et al., Cornea 2023;42(7):847-857ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03226444ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07568730TearSolutions, FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations (June 2, 2026)touchOPHTHALMOLOGY (June 5, 2026)Optometry Times (June 3, 2026)Ophthalmology Management (June 3, 2026)TearSolutions, outcome of Type C meeting with FDA (February 2022)Lee et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020;21:6157Efraim Y et al., Cell Reports 2022;40(9):111307
What has happened recently
Not approved anywhere. On June 2, 2026, TearSolutions announced that the FDA had granted Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations to Lacripep for neurotrophic keratitis, and that the first patients had been dosed in a phase 2 trial (NCT07568730); the registry gives that trial's start as February 19, 2026, and the grant dates of the designations have not been published. The earlier dry eye trial in primary Sjögren syndrome (NCT03226444, registered as phase 1/2) ran from June 30, 2017, to December 27, 2019. After a Type C meeting with the FDA in late 2021, the company said in February 2022 that it planned a phase 2/3 trial of about 240 patients in Sjögren-associated dry eye and a phase 3 trial in general dry eye, pending funding or a partner. It has no INN or USAN: Lacripep is the company's name for it, and the University of Virginia is where it was discovered.
You can compare this against the whole library, or read how to check a seller.
What else is like Lacripep?
Others in Healing and recovery, side by side.If you're weighing Lacripep, it's worth reading Linaclotide (Linzess), Nerinetide (NA-1), and Pentosan Polysulfate (PPS) in the same class.
A short piece of a human tear protein, given as eye drops to help the cornea renew itself and its nerves regrow. Its first trial missed its main goal; a nerve-damage trial began in 2026.
- Dose
- One drop of 4 µM solution in both eyes three times a day (phase 2 trial)
- How often
- Three times a day
An approved oral peptide for constipation that works in the gut and barely reaches the blood.
- Dose
- 72, 145 or 290 mcg once daily (label)
- How often
- Once daily
A 20-residue peptide built to stop nerve cells dying during a stroke. Over 2,400 patients later, the main results are neutral.
- Dose
- 2.6 mg/kg once, up to 270 mg (trials)
- How often
- A single dose
A treatment for arthritis and painful bladder that acts like a joint lubricant.
- Dose
- 300 mg per day (100 mg three times a day)
- How often
- Three times a day (oral)
Guides for this compound
- How to Reconstitute a Peptide
Mix peptide powder with bacteriostatic water, step by step.
- How to Read an Insulin Syringe
Read the units, convert to millilitres, and draw the exact dose.
- mcg vs mg: The Peptide Dosing Mistake to Avoid
Your vial says mg and your protocol says mcg. Here is the conversion and how to check it.
- How to Read a Peptide COA
What the purity number does and does not tell you, and how to spot an edited report.
- How to Vet a Peptide Vendor
Independent COAs, HPLC purity, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Sources
- FDA GSRS substance record, Lacripep (UNII 0OZ3G9FQP9)(2026)19-residue human-origin sequence KQFIENGSEFAQKLLKKFS; CAS 2243095-21-6; N-terminal acetyl-lysine and C-terminal serinamide recorded; no INN or USAN.
- Tauber J et al., Cornea 2023;42(7):847-857(2023)204 randomized to vehicle, 22 or 44 µM three times daily for 28 days: total corneal staining and eye dryness not significantly changed; post hoc gains with baseline dryness severity of 60 or more; mild irritation under 3%.
- ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03226444(2019)Phase 1/2 in primary Sjögren syndrome at 0.005% and 0.01%, 35 US sites; completed December 27, 2019; no results posted.
- ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT07568730(2026)Phase 2 in stage 1 neurotrophic keratitis, 4 µM three times daily against vehicle; started February 19, 2026; estimated 54; primary endpoint central corneal staining at week 8.
- TearSolutions, FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations (June 2, 2026)(2026)Both designations for neurotrophic keratitis; first patients dosed in phase 2; discovered at the University of Virginia with National Eye Institute funding; lacritin is 119 residues.
- touchOPHTHALMOLOGY (June 5, 2026)(2026)Independent report of the designations, the 4 µM concentration, stage 1 disease and 54 planned patients.
- Optometry Times (June 3, 2026)(2026)TearSolutions, led by CEO Anil Asrani, announced the designations; trial NCT07568730.
- Ophthalmology Management (June 3, 2026)(2026)Confirms both designations and the planned enrollment.
- TearSolutions, outcome of Type C meeting with FDA (February 2022)(2022)Planned a phase 2/3 trial of about 240 patients in Sjögren-associated dry eye and a phase 3 in general dry eye, pending funding or a partner.
- Lee et al., International Journal of Molecular Sciences 2020;21:6157(2020)Lacripep is the 19-residue core of lacritin's C-terminal fragment and binds syndecan-1 after heparanase trimming.
- Efraim Y et al., Cell Reports 2022;40(9):111307(2022)In mice with aqueous-deficient dry eye, topical Lacripep restored corneal nerves and the surface barrier.
Beyond these, 8 records are indexed. Browse the records