Ocular corticosteroid gel may reduce inflammation after cataract surgery

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A loteprednol etabonate gel formulation was demonstrated to be a safe and effective treatment for ocular inflammation after cataract surgery, according to a Bausch + Lomb press release.

Results of two multicenter, randomized, double-masked clinical studies involving 810 patients were presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

Significantly more subjects treated with the Bausch + Lomb loteprednol etabonate gel formulation reported complete resolution of anterior chamber cells and no pain from day 8 through the end of the study at day 18 compared with patients treated with a placebo, the release said.

“The findings presented at ARVO suggest that the new gel formulation of loteprednol, a well-known anti-inflammatory medication, if approved, may offer physicians an exciting new option for treating postoperative ocular inflammation and pain following ocular surgery,” Richard D’Souza, vice president of development and research at Bausch + Lomb, said in the release.

The loteprednol etabonate gel has a pH level closer to human tears and contains a lower concentration of the preservative benzalkonium chloride than loteprednol etabonate suspension (0.003% vs. 0.01%), according to the release. The gel formulation also provides greater retention on the ocular surface and eliminates the need to shake the product before instillation.