Anterior Segment Ocular Surface
Evaluating Clinical Perceptions of a New Medication for Ocular Itch Associated with Allergic Conjunctivitis—
Results of the Bepreve® 1.5% First Experience Field Survey Jai G Parekh, MD, MBA, FAAO
Managing Partner, Brar-Parekh Eye Associates, Woodland Park, New Jersey, Chief of Cornea and External Diseases, St Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, Paterson, and Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary
Abstract
Allergic conjunctivitis associated with seasonal or perennial allergy is an increasingly prevalent complaint. Patients seeking professional evaluation for symptoms of ocular allergy usually have exhausted over-the-counter options and expect rapid, effective relief from the treatment prescribed. With the introduction of Bepreve® (bepotastine besilate ophthalmic solution) 1.5%, a survey of US doctors was conducted to evaluate their opinions and impressions of the medication following the initial patient trial. Responses from 427 practitioners, representing a total of 7,340 patient experiences, suggest that Bepreve is a rapidly effective and comfortable treatment. Nearly all respondents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the performance of Bepreve. These survey data from the office setting are consistent with clinical trial results demonstrating that Bepreve provides rapid, durable, and comfortable relief of ocular itch.
Keywords Bepotastine besilate, allergic conjunctivitis, ocular itching, antihistamine/mast cell stabilizer, Bepreve®
Disclosure: The author is a consultant to ISTA Pharmaceuticals. Acknowledgment: Editorial assistance was provided by BioComm Network, Inc. Received: December 15, 2010 Accepted: February 22, 2011 Citation: US Ophthalmic Review, 2011;4(1):69–72 Correspondence: Jai G Parekh, MD, MBA, FAAO, Brar-Parekh Eye Associates, 1031 McBride Avenue, Ste D-106, Woodland Park, NJ 07. E:
brarparekh3@optimum.net
Support: The publication of this article was funded by ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of ISTA Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Annually, at least 40 million Americans experience symptoms related to indoor or outdoor allergies,2
with nearly 25 million
adults and children receiving a diagnosis or reporting seasonal allergy (hayfever) in 2009.3
Symptoms associated with allergic conjunctivitis, including bilateral itching, redness, and tearing, are among the most common complaints resulting in referrals to eye care professionals. Approximately 35% of patients who are evaluated for these symptoms are diagnosed with allergic conjunctivitis.5
One analysis of national health survey data found that ocular allergy symptoms may be four times more prevalent than nasal symptoms.4
Ocular allergy is treated with a variety of
prescription and over-the-counter systemic and topical agents, principally antihistamine/mast cell stabilizers and corticosteroids. Many patients seen in a doctor’s office have already failed to achieve adequate relief from prior treatments; therefore, identifying therapies that are rapidly effective is important to the clinical community.
Bepotastine besilate is a highly selective histamine H1 receptor antagonist and an inhibitor of mast cell degranulation.6,7
© TOUCH BRIEFINGS 2011 Studies in
Estimates of the incidence of allergic conjunctivitis vary, but it is an increasingly common condition that may affect >20% of the general population.1
laboratory and animal models of systemic allergy and allergic conjunctivitis have suggested additional mechanisms of action, including the inhibition of interleukin-5 (IL-5) production and eosinophil migration to ocular inflammatory sites, leukotriene B4 and leukotriene D4 activity, and platelet-activating factor (PAF) activity.8,9
These multiple
mechanisms suggest that bepotastine has activity in both the early and the late phases of the allergic response.
Bepostastine besilate has an extensive record of safety and efficacy as a systemic treatment for a variety of allergic conditions. It has been marketed in Japan (Talion®, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation) as an oral medication for allergic rhinitis since 2000 and for pruritis accompanying urticaria and skin diseases (eczema, dermatitis, prurigo, and dermal pruritis) since 2002. During this time, more than 850 million systemic doses have been administered with no drug-related serious adverse events reported.10
In 2006, ISTA
Pharmaceuticals licensed the exclusive North American rights to the ophthalmic formulation of bepotastine besilate, and in 2007 the exclusive North American rights to the nasal dosage form and the right to negotiate for an oral form.
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