Allergy sufferers rejoice: The world’s first drug-delivery contact lens has just been approved in the US.
Johnson & Johnson has developed a daily-disposable contact lens coated with ketotifen, a widely used antihistamine used to treat allergies such as hay fever.Dubbed ACUVUE Theravision, the lenses are designed to help people who wear contact lenses every day but also suffer from allergies that can make their eyes uncomfortable.
Select Acuvue Contact Lenses
The medicated contact lenses are already available in Japan and Canada, and have just been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to a J&J announcement.So, in theory, they could be available to Americans soon, although there isn’t much information on the rollout at the moment.
The approval follows a Phase 3 clinical study recently published in the journal Cornea, which found the lens was effective in reducing eye itching within three minutes of insertion and provided relief for up to 12 hours.The study, involving 244 people, found the effect was similar to direct topical administration, but without the hassle of eye drops.
“[Contact lens] administration offers several advantages over direct topical ophthalmic application. Combining vision correction and allergy treatment improves compliance for both conditions by simplifying overall management,” the paper said. The study wrote.
About 40 percent of contact lens wearers said they had itchy eyes due to allergies, and nearly 80 percent of contact lens wearers with eye allergies said they were frustrated when allergies interfered with their normal contact lens wearing.With these lenses, those frustrations can be eased.
“As a result of the FDA’s decision to approve Acuvue Theravision and Ketotifen, allergic itch in contact lens wearers may soon be a thing of the past,” Brian Pall, director of clinical sciences at Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, said in a statement.
Pall added: “These new lenses may help keep more people wearing contact lenses because they can relieve allergic eye itching for up to 12 hours, eliminate the need for allergy drops, and provide vision correction.”
Select Acuvue Colored Contacts
This website uses cookies to improve the user experience.By continuing to use our site, you agree to accept all cookies in accordance with our cookie policy.
Post time: Jun-06-2022
