FAQs

Thyroid Eye Disease (known as TED) is an autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation, growth, and damage to tissues around and behind the eyes.

TED is a autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation, growth, and damage to tissues around and behind the eyes. The cause(s) of the underlying immune attack is not known.

Although the signs and symptoms of thyroid eye disease can be very different from one person to another, thyroid eye disease symptoms may include:

• Irritation, dryness and discomfort of your eyes and eyelids.
• Pain in or behind your eyes; difficulty moving your eyes.
• Eyelid retraction.
• Bulging eyes.
• Double vision.

TED is a serious disease that could affect your vision and will get worse if left untreated. Talk to your doctor, if you suspect that you may have TED. If a diagnosis of TED is confirmed, your doctor may recommend:

• Eye drops or artificial tears: These treatments may help if you are suffering from dry eyes.
• Steroid medications: Your doctor may prescribe a corticosteroid medication such as prednisone to help reduce swelling in the eye.
• Surgery to reduce pressure in the eye, improve bulging eyes, improve eye movement, or your double vision.
• Other newer medications now approved for the treatment of TED.
• You may be eligible for ongoing clinical trials that are exploring other new treatments for thyroid eye disease. Talk to your doctor about whether you may be eligible to participate in one of these studies.

People living with TED may have red irritated eyes, bulging eyes, and swollen or retracted eyelids.

While TED and Graves’ disease are both autoimmune diseases, they are different conditions. In Graves’ disease the immune system attacks the thyroid; in TED the immune system causes inflammation, growth, and damage to tissues around and behind the eyes. However, Graves’ disease is a risk factor for developing TED, and TED occurs most commonly (90%) in people with a history of Graves’ disease. About one-third of people with Graves’ disease develop TED.

Although we do not fully understand what causes TED, experts have identified several factors that put some people at a greater risk of experiencing this disease. These include:

• Age: While TED can occur at any age, it usually develops before the age of 40.
• Gender: TED is seven times more common in women than men.
• History: TED usually occurs when there is a history of Graves’ disease.
• Smoking: TED is more common in those who smoke or are exposed to second-hand smoke.

The THRIVE clinical program is designed to test VRDN-001 as a potential new treatment for thyroid eye disease. VRDN-001 is an investigational drug, meaning it is approved for use only in the setting of clinical studies by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

VRDN-001 is administered by infusion through a vein in your arm by a medical professional.

TED is often difficult to diagnose and may be misdiagnosed with a range of other ophthalmic conditions, such as allergic eye disease, dry eye, myositis, and conjunctivitis. This can lead to delays in being diagnosed with TED and beginning treatment.

Diagnosis is usually based on medical history, clinical examination, blood tests, and visual assessments. Following a diagnosis of TED, disease severity is determined using a 7-point clinical activity score (CAS) that assesses pain with eye movement, redness of the eyelids, swelling of the eyelids, decreased eye movement and/or visual acuity, and the severity of bulging eyes.

TED is an autoimmune condition characterized by inflammation, growth, and damage to tissues around and behind the eyes. As the tissues behind the eye become inflamed, they push the eyes forward. This leads to bulging eyes and swollen and red eyelids.

VRDN-001 is an investigational drug, meaning it is approved for use only in the setting of clinical studies by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).