Local Ophthalmologist Played Lead Role in FDA Approval of New Eye Drops
Sioux Falls ophthalmologist Dr. Vance Thompson says he was honored to serve as principal investigator in the clinical trial of a newly-approved eye drop for age-related blurry near vision.
The FDA recently gave the green light to Allergan for VUITY eye drops, the first and only eye drop for presbyopic near vision. For many years, the only solution to this problem has been lens surgery, contact lenses, or reading glasses.
“This whole project has fascinated me from the beginning,” Dr. Thompson said. “What blew me away is knowing that pilocarpine, which is a central component of VUITY drops, was first invented in the late 1800s and used to treat glaucoma for over 100 years."
Dr. Thompson's key role in the clinical trial gave the Vance Thompson Vision team a front-row view of how the new drops can benefit patients.
"I think it’s amazing that Allergan researched taking a traditional treatment with a high safety profile and using it for something new to benefit millions of patients. I am so honored that our team at Vance Thompson Vision had something to do with introducing this to the world.”
VUITY works in as little as 15 minutes and lasts up to 6 hours to improve near and intermediate vision without impacting distance vision. Specifically designed for presbyopia, VUITY uses the eye's own ability to reduce pupil size, creating a pinhole effect with the patient’s own pupil to increase depth of focus and help people not need reading glasses. It's the first and only FDA approved eye drop for presbyopia treatment.
“Working with our patients during the clinical trial, I was surprised how easy the drop regimen was and how quickly patients noticed improvement in their near vision, “said Dr. Jason Schmit of Vance Thompson Vision. “This treatment is going to help so many patients experience better near vision without the need for contact lenses or reading glasses.”
