Imagine eyedrops that could free you from your reading glasses for almost six hours. Or, if not for yourself, how often do you see your parents squinting at their iPads, holding them at arm’s length? Allergan’s VuityTM can help with both! VuityTM is a newly FDA-approved prescription eye drop that helps those with presbyopia. Those with presbyopia can see objects from far away, hence the term “being farsighted,” but cannot read or see objects that are nearby. Presbyopia is often noticeable among people in their forties. (Interestingly, those who are already myopic, or “nearsighted,” have their vision corrected to a certain degree by their presbyopia.)
New FDA-approved eye drops can be used in place of reading glasses.
Image Source: ljubaphoto
As we age, the muscles in our eyes that control the pupils, the black center of our eyes) become less elastic and more rigid, making it difficult to change the pupil size in order to focus light rays onto the retina, the part of the eye that sends images to the brain. This is addressed by the active ingredient in VuityTM, which is 1.25% pilocarpine. It works by making the pupils smaller so that light can better focus on the retina. Pilocarpine has also been used to treat glaucoma since the 1800s by lowering the pressure inside the eye. It takes approximately fifteen minutes for the eye drops to take effect, lasting for around six hours.
Allergan conducted two clinical trials named GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2 to evaluate the effect of VuityTM eye drops on participants. Both trials were phase 3 thirty-day trials, with 750 volunteers from ages 40-55 separated into two groups. One group used 1 drop of VuityTM in each eye for 30 days and the other group did the same with a placebo eye drop. In GEMINI 1, 31% of the VuityTM group and 8% of the placebo group had improved vision. In GEMINI 2, 26% of the VuityTM group and 11% of the placebo group had an improvement. Although not all of the patients who received VuityTM experienced an improvement in vision, the difference between the treatment group and placebo group was statistically significant, meaning the improvement likely wasn’t because of random chance. Some side-effects participants experienced were headaches, blurred vision, eye pain, or red eye. One other setback is possible retinal detachment, although this is not common without preexisting eye conditions such as myopia.
The data for the effectiveness of VuityTM is convincing and the thought of being free from reading glasses is attractive! However, a major factor when considering these eye drops is cost. VuityTM is currently not covered by insurance and costs about $87 for a dropper which will last a month (if coupons on GoodRx are used). Reviews on the internet are also polarizing, with some users liking VuityTM while others not so much. Depending on the person, though, this could be an alternative to laser eye surgery for those suffering from presbyopia. Overall, it is good to see new options coming out to help our loved ones see life with clear eyes!
Featured Image Source: megaflopp
