Aerie Pharmaceuticals Inc's experimental glaucoma treatment Rhopressa is effective in lowering eye pressure, a preliminary review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded.

The review, posted on Wednesday on the FDA's website, comes two days ahead of a meeting of outside experts who will advise the agency on whether the treatment should be approved.

Glaucoma, a condition caused by damage to the optic nerve, is the second-leading cause of blindness in the world. It is expected to affect more than 4 million Americans by 2030, up from 2.7 million today.