DeCure's autonomous AMR AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for bacterial conjunctivitis — screening already-approved drugs against its 2-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleBacterial conjunctivitis maps to a 2-gene Open Targets module — the target space DeCure's AI scientist screens approved drugs against.
DeCure.ai methodSignature reversal (LINCS) plus network proximity (STRING) rank already-approved drugs likely to perturb this module — the same engine that produces DeCure.ai's repurposing hypotheses.
Repurposing thesisScreening approved medicines against this disease module, then publishing the evidence for the strongest candidate. Known pharmacology and human exposure data make the first question sharper — they do not establish safety or efficacy in a new indication.
Research record
01
ResearchComing soon
Candidate research + dossier — target rationale, drug-repurposing thesis and evidence pack.proof: Published dossier + on-chain hash
02
ValidationComing soon
In-vitro biological validation at a contract research org (CRO).proof: CRO contract + in-vitro report
03
Peer review & paperComing soon
Peer-reviewed paper published open-access (preprint + journal).proof: DOI + open-access link + on-chain hash
Current lead
No approved-drug candidate for bacterial conjunctivitis is corroborated in the literature DeepSearch retrieved. Some conditions are managed with non-pharmacological care — a device, surgery or physical therapy — rather than a medicine; that may be the case here, or the literature we found may simply be too sparse yet to support a drug-repurposing angle.
Molecular view
DNA topoisomerase II alpha (TOP2A) — TOP2A is one of the genes genetically linked to this disease in Open Targets — shown as context, not as a drug target we're pursuing: no approved-drug candidate for this disease is yet corroborated in the literature we found.
Loading structure…
helix sheet 5s,5ar,8ar,9rdrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 6ZY5 · 3.6 Å · ligand (5S,5aR,8aR,9R)-9-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-8-oxo-5,5a,6,8,8a,9-hexahydrofuro[3',4':6,7]naphtho[2,3-d][1,3]dioxol
-5-yl 4,6-O-[(1R)-ethylidene]-beta-D-glucopyranoside (EVP). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
A 2006 Cochrane review of five double-masked randomised trials (1034 participants) found that topical antibiotics improve early (days 2–5) clinical remission rates (relative risk 1.24, 95% CI 1.05–1.45) and microbiological remission rates (RR 1.77, 95% CI 1.23–2.54) compared with placebo. By days 6–10 the advantage narrowed but persisted (clinical RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02–1.21; microbiological RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.17–2.09). However, 65% (95% CI 59–70) of placebo-treated patients achieved clinical remission by days 2–5 without antibiotics. No serious sight-threatening complications occurred in either arm. The review concluded that acute bacterial conjunctivitis is frequently self-limiting.
A 1988 double-blind trial randomised 42 patients to trimethoprim-polymyxin B sulphate ointment or chloramphenicol ointment four times daily for seven days. Both treatments were effective and well tolerated, with no statistically significant differences in organism eradication or clinical improvement. A 2014 case series of 124 patients reported a total effective rate of 96.8% after symptomatic drug treatment, with symptom scores for tearing, conjunctival congestion, secretions and pain significantly lower after treatment than before. Adverse reactions occurred in 6 cases (4.8%). A 2002 short cut review identified only one paper meeting its criteria for best evidence on time to remission with topical antibiotics.
A 2025 review summarised that antibiotic choice depends on the causative organism and infection severity, and that acute bacterial conjunctivitis requires prompt pharmacological management. The review noted the need to consider antibiotic resistance and called for collaboration between ophthalmologists and microbiologists. What remains missing are adequately powered trials that stratify patients by bacterial aetiology and severity, and that track resistance emergence. The Cochrane review noted that most trials were conducted in specialist care settings, limiting generalisability, and that later trials in community settings were heterogeneous. No trial has yet identified a subgroup that clearly does not benefit from antibiotics, nor one that clearly does.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2006 · 95 citations
Antibiotics versus placebo for acute bacterial conjunctivitis
AbstractBACKGROUND: There are concerns about whether antibiotic therapy confers significant clinical benefit in the treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review was to assess the benefit and harm of antibiotic therapy in the management of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (which contains the Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group Trials Register), MEDLINE, EMBASE, SIGLE, NRR, PubMed and the reference lists of identified trial reports. We used the Science Citation Index to look for articles that cited the relevant studies, and we contacted investigators and pharmaceutical companies for information about additional trials. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included double masked randomised controlled trials in which any form of antibiotic treatment had been compared with placebo in the management of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. This included topical, systemic and combination (for example, antibiotics and steroids) antibiotic treatments. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: One author extracted data and the accuracy was checked by a second author. MAIN RESULTS: This review includes five trials which randomised a total of 1034 participants. One further trial is currently 'awaiting assessment'. This has been published in abstract form and has yet to be fully reported. Three of the trials have been conducted on a selected specialist care patient population and the two more recent trials have been conducted in a community care setting. The trials were heterogeneous in terms of their inclusion and exclusion criteria, the nature of the intervention, and the outcome measures assessed. Meta-analyses of data on clinical and microbiological remission rates reveal that topical antibiotics are of benefit in improving early (days 2 to 5) clinical (RR 1.24, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.45) and microbiological (RR 1.77, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.54) remission rates; later (days 6 to 10) data reveal that these early advantages in clinical (RR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.21) and microbiological cure rates are reduced (RR 1.56, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.09), but persist. Most cases however resolve spontaneously with clinical remission being achieved in 65% (95% CI 59 to 70) by days 2 to 5 in those receiving placebo. No serious outcomes were reported in either the active or placebo arms of these trials, indicating that important sight-threatening complications are an infrequent occurrence. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Acute bacterial conjunctivitis is frequently a self-limiting condition, but the use of antibiotics is associated with significantly improved rates of clinical and microbiological remission.
Current Medical Research and Opinion · 1988 · 15 citations
Trimethoprim-polymyxin B sulphate ophthalmic ointment in the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis: a double-blind study versus chloramphenicol ophthalmic ointment
AbstractForty-two patients with a clinical diagnosis of bacterial conjunctivitis were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind trial. Patients were treated with either trimethoprim-polymyxin B sulphate or chloramphenicol ophthalmic ointments 4-times a day for 7 days. Analysis of clinical evaluation data showed that both treatments were effective and well tolerated, and that there were no statistically significant differences between them with regard to eradication of organisms or clinical improvement.
Journal of Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics · 2014 · 6 citations
Gatifloxacin 0.5% Administered Twice Daily for the Treatment of Acute Bacterial Conjunctivitis in Patients One Year of Age or Older
AbstractPURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gatifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution administered twice daily for treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis. METHODS: Two identically designed, double-masked, multicenter studies in the United States and India enrolled patients 1 year or older with acute bacterial conjunctivitis. Patients were randomized to gatifloxacin 0.5% or vehicle treatment for 5 days. Clinical success in clearing conjunctival hyperemia and discharge at day 6 (primary endpoint) and day 4 and microbiological cure were determined. Isolates from positive conjunctival samples were tested for sensitivity and susceptibility. Safety measures included adverse events (AEs). Data from these 2 studies were pooled for these analyses. RESULTS: Of the 1437 randomized patients, 658 constituted the modified intent-to-treat population. Patient characteristics were similar between the pooled treatment groups. Clinical success occurred for 58.0% of gatifloxacin 0.5%-treated versus 45.5% vehicle-treated patients at day 6 (P=0.001) and for 23.7% versus 15.4% in the respective groups at day 4 (P=0.007). Microbiological cure was higher with gatifloxacin 0.5% than vehicle at days 4 and 6 (P<0.001 for both time points). The combined minimum inhibitory concentration required to inhibit 90% of isolates for gatifloxacin 0.5% was 2.0 μg/mL for gram-positive and gram-negative organisms. AEs were reported by 11.6% and 13.3% of patients in the gatifloxacin 0.5% and vehicle safety populations, respectively. One patient in each treatment group experienced a serious AE; neither was treatment related. CONCLUSIONS: The 0.5% concentration of gatifloxacin ophthalmic solution was safe and effective for treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis with twice-daily administration for 5 days.
Emergency Medicine Journal · 2002 · 5 citations · open access
Topical antibiotics in acute bacterial conjunctivitis: Table 5
AbstractA short cut review was carried out to establish whether there is any evidence to show if topical antibiotic therapy reduces time to remission in acute bacterial conjunctivitis. Altogether 1231 papers were found using the reported search, of which one presented the best evidence to answer the clinical question. The author, date and country of publication, patient group studied, study type, relevant outcomes, results and study weaknesses of this paper are tabulated. A clinical bottom line is stated.
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · 2014 · 0 citations · open access
Clinical experience summary of bacterial conjunctivitis treatment in 124 cases
AbstractAIM: To discuss the clinical treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, and summarize the treatment experiences. METHODS: Totally, 124 cases with bacterial conjunctivitis in the department of ophthalmology from October 2012 to April 2014 were selected as the research objects. According to the diagnosis points, they were classified. After symptomatic drug treatment, the efficacy and adverse reactions were observed. RESULTS: The total effective rate of 124 cases after treatment was 96.8%, after treatment, patients with tears, conjunctival congestion, secretions and pain scores were significantly lower than those before treatment(<i>P</i><0.05). The total score after treatment was(0.36±0.24)in this group, there were 6 cases(4.8%)of adverse reactions. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of classification symptomatic treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis is significant and worthy of clinical reference.
Journal of Education Health and Sport · 2025 · 0 citations · open access
The management of bacterial conjunctivitis
AbstractIntroduction and Purpose: Bacterial conjunctivitis, a common eye disease characterized by inflammation of the conjunctiva, poses a major challenge in clinical practice due to its prevalence, diverse etiology and the need for effective pharmacological treatment. The conjunctiva is constantly exposed to the adverse effects of various external and internal factors. This review is devoted to the pharmacological treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, with a focus on the most common causative agents. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive survey of articles published in scientific journals was conducted via PubMed and Google Scholar online research platforms. Articles were searched by entering keywords in the appropriate configuration: “bacterial conjunctivitis,” ‘pharmacotherapy,’ ‘bacterial,’ and ”antibiotics.” Description of current knowledge: Emerging research has shown that the choice of antibiotic for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis depends primarily on the etiology and severity of the infection. Summary: Antibiotic therapy is an effective tool in the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis, but its use requires consideration of etiology, severity of infection and potential risk of resistance. Collaboration between ophthalmologists and microbiologists is necessary for the optimal management of this condition. Acute bacterial conjunctivitis is a prevalent eye condition that requires prompt and appropriate pharmacological management.
Disease module: DeepOracle (Open Targets). Structures: RDKit from PubChem SMILES. Literature: retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works (targeted per-candidate search), resolved on OpenAlex.
DeCure is a research and publication project, not medical advice and not a treatment. "DeCure for X" describes a research goal, not a claim that a cure exists. Backing a cure is a contribution to fund the research — it is not an investment, and confers no yield, royalty, equity or IP ownership. Papers are published open-access by the DeCure.ai DAO.
