The only FDA-approved topical ophthalmic antifungal agent now ships overnight to patients.

Patients can now receive NATACYN (natamycin ophthalmic suspension) 5% as soon as one day after their eye-care provider prescribes the medication through

NATACYN Next Day, Eyevance Pharmaceutical’s new drug delivery program. With this service, the only FDA-approved topical ophthalmic antifungal can be shipped to patients overnight via FedEx at no additional cost, so long as the prescription is submitted by 5 p.m. CST to NatacynRARX, a specialty pharmacy.

PRACTICES BENEFIT, TOO

John D. Sheppard, MD, is pleased to hear the news.

“This next-day delivery service fulfills many needs: accessibility, timing, delivery to remote locations, processing of payment claims and, of course, quality control,” says Dr. Sheppard, president of Virginia Eye Consultants, based in Norfolk. “Corneal specialists and their staff currently waste inordinate amounts of time, often to no avail, attempting to rapidly get topical antifungals to their keratitis patients. This problem is now solved.”

INFECTION AND TREATMENT

Fungal eye infections are treated with prescription medications for durations ranging from several weeks to several months. Treatment depends on the type of fungus, severity of infection and the affected parts of the eye. Patients whose infections do not resolve after using antifungal medication may need surgery, including corneal transplantation, vitrectomy or, in extreme cases, enucleation.

Most ophthalmic fungal medications take the form of pills or injections into a vein or directly into the eye, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NATACYN, approved by the FDA in 1978, is the only topical, eyedrop-based antifungal. It is indicated for treatment of fungal infections of the outer eye, including blepharitis, conjunctivitis and keratitis caused by susceptible organisms such as Aspergillus and Fusarium solani, notes the CDC.

“Although fungal keratitis is rare, it is almost universally blinding if left untreated; swift, early treatment yields the best clinical outcomes,” says Mario Nacinovich, vice president, Marketing for Eyevance. He says that the only alternatives for this indication “are costly compounded medications” that lack FDA approval.

E-COMMERCE ENABLED

“When Eyevance Pharmaceuticals acquired NATACYN, the number one request from eye-care professionals was to provide a way for patients to receive the product by the next day,” says Julie Speed, chief commercial officer of Eyevance.

Owing to the low prevalence of fungal keratitis, she adds, pharmacies generally do not stock NATACYN. As a specialty pharmacy dispensary, NatacynRARX is easily accessible to any practice via its EMR

The drug is reimbursed by most Medicare Part D and commercial pharmacy benefit providers, Ms. Speed says. The NATACYN Next Day call center (1-866-NATACYN) generates and processes prior authorizations for the patient in collaboration with the prescriber, as needed. OM