There is good news for those who use reading glasses. Indian Eye Drops have received approval from the ‘Drug Controller General of India’. The press release said that the eye drops will not only help patients get rid of reading glasses, but people with dry eyes will also benefit greatly.
India’s first eye drop gets approval
After deliberating on the drug for over two years, the drug regulatory agency has approved India’s first eye drops to eliminate the need for reading glasses. On Tuesday, Mumbai-based Entode Pharmaceuticals launched “PressVue” eye drops made using pilocarpine.
This medicine treats ‘presbyopia’ by reducing the size of the pupils, which helps in seeing near objects better. Presbyopia is a condition of age-related loss of the eye’s ability to focus on near objects and usually becomes noticeable in the mid-40s and worsens by the late 60s.
In an interview to News18, Nikhil K Masurkar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Entode Pharmaceuticals, said that one drop of the drug starts showing effect in just 15 minutes and its effect lasts for the next six hours. If the second drop is also given within three to six hours of the first drop, its effect will last even longer. Till now, there was no drug-based solution for blurred near-vision except reading glasses, contact lenses or some surgical interventions.
Who can buy this medicine?
From the first week of October, the prescription-based drops will be available across pharmacies at a price of Rs 350. The drug is great for treating mild to moderate presbyopia for people aged 40 to 55 years. Nikhil K Masurkar claims that it is the first drug of its kind in India that has been tested on Indian eyes and is customized according to the genetic basis of the Indian population.
Nikhil K Masurkar said similar medicines are available abroad. However, those formulations are not tested on Indian eyes which are very different from Caucasian eyes. We have made several changes in the formulation. The product will be sold only on prescription by registered physicians, the company has started training its field force to inform and educate doctors about the use of the latest product.
Disclaimer: Some of the information given in the news is based on media reports. Before implementing any suggestion, please consult the concerned expert.