Quigley Pharma Inc. said Thursday its treatment against Herpes Keratitis, which occurs when the herpes simplex virus infects the eye, was not successful in animal studies; however, the company said it will continue to study the treatment for other possible uses.

Quigley said the tests to assess the effectiveness of QR-435 against the virus showed that the treatment did not stay in the eye long enough to penetrate the cells and reach the site of the virus. In other studies, the treatment eradicated the virus on direct contact.

The company said it will continue testing QR-435 as a potential treatment for respiratory and influenza viruses.