RX PERSPECTIVES

Ocular itching? Pazeo works 24 hrs./1 drop

Alcon’s new solution delivers once-daily use to relieve allergic conjunctivitis symptoms.

By Rebecca Hanlon, Contributing Editor

Patients with allergic conjunctivitis who contend with itchy, watery eyes often struggle to find all-day relief. That struggle often leads them to use products many times a day to ward off the irritation.

A new eye drop, Alcon’s Pazeo 0.7% solution, is the first FDA-approved product intended to control allergic conjunctivitis symptoms for 24 hours.

Francis Mah, MD, of the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, Calif., says his allergic conjunctivitis patients often prefer Pazeo because they don’t have to think about reapplication. “Pazeo has provided my patients with the longest amount of relief. If used just once a day, they are able to keep their itching symptoms under control through whatever activities they have planned for a full 24 hours.”

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Pazeo, a mast-cell stabilizer, contains 7.76 mg of olopatadine hydrochloride per milliliter.

In two randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, conjunctival allergen challenge (CAC) clinical studies in patients with a history of allergic conjunctivitis, Pazeo was compared to Alcon’s Pataday (olopatadine 0.2%). Results showed that Pazeo offered “significant improved relief” from symptoms at 24 hours after study treatment, along with a similar safety profile to Pataday.

“[Patients] prefer a product that provides continued relief,” says Eric Donnenfeld, MD, FAAO, of Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island and Connecticut. “They don’t have to carry the bottle around with them wherever they go, afraid they might need more.”

In addition, size and price of Pataday and Pazeo are the same, but Pazeo is still a cost savings for patients because of its once-daily use, Dr. Mah says.

PATIENT INSTRUCTIONS

Dr. Donnenfeld often speaks to his patients about ocular allergy, even those presenting an unrelated issue — ocular allergy is under-diagnosed, he says. He asks patients if they have allergies, asthma or are allergic to medications and finds that many of these patients try to treat minor itching with over-the-counter products. “Many patients don’t realize that over-the-counter options can be suboptimal. They could have better treatment if they consulted with an eye-care practitioner. In those cases, we can provide relief for a common problem.”

Dr. Mah tells his patients who use Pazeo to apply one drop in each eye every morning. It’s especially important that patients use it during allergy season, he says, when their symptoms might be worse.

Alternatively, Dr. Donnen-feld sometimes recommends that patients use Pazeo before they start an activity that might trigger their seasonal allergies. For example, if a patient is allergic to grass pollen, he suggests a drop in each eye before heading outside. Also, patients who are allergic to dust mites might want to use Pazeo before going to sleep when they might have the highest exposure to that allergen.

Pazeo is almost as thick as a gel, Dr. Mah says. So, he explains to patients who have used similar products for allergy relief that they might be caught off guard and have to get used to its thickness, which they don’t experience with other products.

Many patients are already very comfortable with allergy eye drops, Dr. Donnenfeld says. However, as with most eye drops, both physicians recommend instructing patients to be careful that the tip of the bottle doesn’t touch their eye or eyelid, and to seal the bottle tightly when not in use. Pazeo is available by prescription in a 4-mL bottle.

While the eye drop is safe with soft contact lenses, those interviewed suggest that patients should wait about five minutes after application — soft contact lenses may absorb Pazeo’s preservative, benzalkonium chloride. Also, patients with red or irritated eyes due to ocular allergy should wait to wear contact lenses until the redness goes away or for whatever length of time their eye doctor might advise.

PAZEO’S USES

Dr. Mah says he’s been using Pazeo on most of his patients who have allergic conjunctivitis. “I think the first group of patients who would benefit are those who are either newly diagnosed, naive to medications or have never been on appropriate therapy,” he says.

Dr. Mah also likes to prescribe Pazeo to patients who have severe allergy symptoms. Patients with atopic keratoconjunctivitis might consider adding Pazeo to their treatment, he says, although it also works for less severe seasonal allergies.

Those interviewed report that 50% to 70% of patients have converted to Pazeo.

Dr. Donnenfeld reports improvement in patient overall eye health as Pazeo helps reduce scratching and irritation. In addition, he is impressed with how quickly Pazeo works, often within 30 minutes of application. The key, however, is what occurs well beyond that first half hour.

“I like to see a product that provides peak effectiveness around the clock so allergy treatment doesn’t have to reoccur,” Dr. Donnenfeld says. “I think Pazeo will continue to be a product that provides that relief.” OM

Dr. Donnenfeld and Dr. Mah are consultants for Alcon.