This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Once daily drop offers relief, increased compliance for ocular allergy treatment
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
KOLOA, Hawaii — A new once-daily formulation of olopatadine 0.2% is the best option to date for treating seasonal allergic conjunctivitis, according to a speaker here.
"When we have something like seasonal allergic conjunctivitis that is affecting millions of people in the United States, we need to look at the data to guide our selection for the most effective treatment for ocular allergy," Terrence P. O'Brien, MD, said at the Hawaiian Eye 2007 meeting.
According to Dr. O'Brien, seasonal allergy affects 90% to 95% of all allergy sufferers.
"What do patients want," Dr. O'Brien asked. "Just like Rolaids, they want relief."
Because of the data, a new formulation of olopatadine to be dosed daily is the best option to treat patients with ocular allergies, he said.
"There's a new horizon in olopatadine hydrochloride 0.2%, Pataday, which is the same as Patanol (olopatadine hydrochloride 0.1%) just with double the concentration," he said. "This new concentration allows one drop every 24 hours."
Alcon manufactures both formulations.
Dr. O'Brien said olopatadine 0.2% has already been shown in studies to be an efficacious, safe solution.
"There have been 10 clinical trials to date with more than 1,000 participants," he said.
This includes a safety study, patient study and a double-masked randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
"All have shown olopatadine 0.2% significantly reduces ocular allergy and reduces conjunctival redness," Dr. O'Brien said.
He noted that as learned from glaucoma medications, once a day dosing increases patient compliance.
"We have a new exciting compound that can be given once a day, really meeting an unmet patient need," he said.