U.S. Food and Drug Administration Approves VUITY™ (pilocarpine HCI ophthalmic solution) 1.25%, the First and Only Eye Drop to Treat Presbyopia (Age-Related Blurry Near Vision)
Allergan, a subsidiary of AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV), announced FDA approval for VUITY (pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution) 1.25% to treat presbyopia, affecting 128 million Americans. This marks VUITY as the first FDA-approved eye drop for this condition, providing rapid relief within 15 minutes and lasting up to 6 hours. The approval is based on two phase 3 studies (GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2) showing significant improvement in near vision without distance vision loss. The most common side effects are headache and eye redness.
- FDA approval of VUITY is expected to meet a significant market need for presbyopia treatment.
- VUITY is the first FDA-approved eye drop specifically for presbyopia, potentially gaining a strong market position.
- Clinical trials showed VUITY improves near vision rapidly, enhancing patient quality of life.
- Potential side effects, including headache and eye redness, may limit user adoption.
- Market competition from existing treatments may affect VUITY's market penetration.
NORTH CHICAGO, Ill., Oct. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan, an AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) company, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of VUITY™ (pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution)
"Most adults cope with presbyopia, or difficulty with near vision, as we age. Beginning around the age of 40, many find themselves using reading glasses, holding text further away, or even increasing the font size and lighting on screens to try to see more clearly," said Michael Severino, M.D., vice chairman and president, AbbVie. "We are proud to offer VUITY as a first-of-its-kind once-daily eye drop that we believe will change the way people and their eye doctors approach presbyopia. The FDA approval of VUITY exemplifies our continued pursuit of innovative new treatments that push the boundaries of what's possible in eye care."
VUITY is a daily, prescription eye drop that works in as early as 15 minutes and lasts up to 6 hours, as measured on day 30, to improve near and intermediate vision without impacting distance vision. Specifically designed for presbyopia, VUITY is an optimized formulation of pilocarpine, an established eye care therapeutic, delivered with pHast™ technology. The proprietary pHast™ technology allows VUITY to rapidly adjust to the physiologic pH of the tear film. VUITY uses the eye's own ability to reduce pupil size, improving near vision without affecting distance vision.
"As we age, the lenses of our eyes become less flexible, making it more difficult to focus on things up close. VUITY offers a novel, safe, well-tolerated and effective alternative to current options for managing age-related blurry near vision," said George O. Waring IV, M.D., FACS, medical director, Waring Vision Institute, South Carolina, and GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2 principal study investigator. "I am particularly encouraged by the rapid onset of action and duration of efficacy for VUITY to improve near and intermediate vision without impacting distance vision with one drop daily, particularly for those with mild to moderate presbyopia."
The FDA approval of VUITY is based on data from two pivotal phase 3 clinical studies, GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2, which evaluated the efficacy, safety and tolerability of VUITY for the treatment of presbyopia. In both studies, VUITY met the primary endpoint, reaching statistical significance in improvement in near vision in low light (mesopic) conditions without a loss of distance vision versus the vehicle (placebo) on day 30 at hour 3. Additionally, improvement was seen as early as 15 minutes and lasted through 6 hours. There were no serious adverse events observed in participants receiving VUITY in either the GEMINI 1 or GEMINI 2 study. The most common adverse events occurring at a frequency of >
Highlights from the Phase 3 GEMINI 1 & GEMINI 2 Clinical Studies
- A total of 750 participants aged 40 to 55 years old with presbyopia were randomized in the two studies in a one-to-one ratio of placebo to VUITY.
- Participants were instructed to administer one drop of VUITY or placebo once daily in each eye.
- Both studies met their primary endpoints with a statistically significant proportion of participants treated with VUITY gaining three lines (the ability to read three additional lines on a reading chart) or more in mesopic (in low light), high contrast, binocular Distance Corrected Near Visual Acuity (DCNVA), without losing more than 1 line (5 letters) of Corrected Distance Visual Acuity (CDVA) at day 30, hour 3, versus placebo.
- There were no serious adverse events observed in any participants treated with VUITY in either clinical study. The most common treatment emergent non-serious adverse events occurring at a frequency of >
5% in participants treated with VUITY were headache and eye redness.
About Presbyopia
Presbyopia, known as age-related blurry near vision, is a common and progressive eye condition that reduces the eye's ability to focus on near objects and usually impacts people after age 40. In a non-presbyopic eye, the clear lens behind the iris can change shape and focus light to the retina, making it easier to see things up close. In a presbyopic eye, the clear lens hardens and does not change shape as easily, making it difficult to focus on near objects. Presbyopia can be diagnosed by an eye doctor (ophthalmologist /optometrist).
Approved Use and Important Safety Information
VUITY™ (pilocarpine HCL ophthalmic solution)
What is the most important information I should know about VUITY™?
- Do not use VUITY™ if you are allergic to any of the ingredients.
- Use caution with night driving or with hazardous activities performed in low light conditions.
- Temporary difficulty in adjusting focus between near and distance objects may occur. Do not drive or use machinery if vision is not clear.
- Seek immediate medical care if any sudden vision loss occurs.
- If you wear contact lenses, they should be removed prior to VUITY™ use and can be reinserted 10 minutes after dosing.
- Do not touch the dropper tip to any surface to help avoid contamination.
- If more than one topical eye medication is being used, they should be administered at least 5 minutes apart.
- The most common side effects are headache and eye redness.
Please see full Prescribing Information.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
About Allergan Eye Care
As a leader in eye care, Allergan has discovered, developed, and delivered some of the most innovative products in the industry for more than 70 years. Allergan has launched over 125 eye care products and invested billions of dollars in treatments for the most prevalent eye conditions including glaucoma, ocular surface disease, and retinal diseases such as diabetic macular edema and retinal vein occlusion.
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, failure to realize the expected benefits from AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan plc ("Allergan"), failure to promptly and effectively integrate Allergan's businesses, competition from other products, challenges to intellectual property, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry and the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, such as COVID-19. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.
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