Nasal spray improves Schirmer’s score in patients with dry eye
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NEW ORLEANS — Patients with dry eye disease saw improvements in symptoms and signs after treatment with varenicline nasal spray, according to a study presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting.
Marjan Farid, MD, said Tyrvaya (varenicline solution, Oyster Point Pharma), formerly known as OC-01, is a cholinergic agonist that leads to an increase in basal tear production with rapid onset.
Researchers randomly assigned 758 patients with a Schirmer’s score of less than 10 mm into one of three groups: 0.03 mg OC-01, 0.06 mg OC-01 or vehicle control. Patients underwent treatment twice daily for 28 days.
The primary endpoint of the study was the percentage of patients with at least 10 mm in change in Schirmer’s score from baseline.
At week 4, 47% of patients in the 0.03 mg group and 49% of patients in the 0.06 mg group met the primary endpoint compared with 28% in the control group (both P < .0001). These groups had a mean change from baseline Schirmer’s score of 11.3 mm and 11.5 mm, respectively, compared with 6.3 mm in the control group (P < .0001).
The effect was consistent across patients with mild to moderate and severe baseline eye dryness severity scores.
“Varenicline nasal spray, which is now an approved treatment for dry eye disease, stimulates the trigeminal parasympathetic pathway and results in an increase in the basal tear film production,” Farid said. “This presents a novel route of administration, and it’s another tool in our toolbox for treating patients and trying to restore homeostasis of the tear film on the ocular surface.”
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Farid M, et al. ONSET-2 phase 3 trial of OC-01 (varenicline solution) nasal spray for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. Presented at: American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting; Nov. 12-15, 2021; New Orleans.
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