Allergan debuts Vuity

Allergan’s Vuity (pilocarpine HCL ophthalmic solution 1.25%), the first and only eye drop to treat presbyopia (age-related blurry near vision), has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration and is now available.

Vuity is a once-daily prescription eye drop that works in as soon as 15 minutes and lasts up to 6 hours to improve near and intermediate vision in adults with presbyopia without impacting distance vision, the company said.

Catchword created the name for the medication and for pHast, the technology used to deliver it.

[Read more: Amneal receives FDA nod for generic Durezol]

Presybopia, the age-related inability to focus on near objects, is a progressive condition that affects nearly half the U.S. adult population.

Presbyopia can be diagnosed by an eye doctor but is usually left untreated as an inevitable part of getting older. 

Allergan noted that Vuity is an optimized formulation of pilocarpine, an established eye care therapeutic, and is delivered with proprietary technology that allows the eye drop to rapidly equilibrate to the pH of the tear film. It uses the eye's own ability to reduce pupil size, improving near vision without affecting distance vision, according to the company. "This new method eliminates the discomfort and blurry vision associated with existing means of delivering pilocarpine," Allergan said.