Eye Drops To Remove Need For Reading Glasses to Hit Market by October

After deliberating over the medicine for over two years, the drug regulatory agency has approved India’s first eye drops to remove the need for reading glasses.

On Tuesday, Mumbai-headquartered Entod Pharmaceuticals launched “PresVu” eye drops made using pilocarpine – the medicine that treats ‘presbyopia’ by reducing the size of the pupils which helps to see objects up close. Presbyopia condition is the age-linked decline in the eyes’ ability to focus on nearby objects and this condition typically becomes noticeable mid-40s and worsens until about age of late 60s.

In an interview with News18, Nikkhil K Masurkar, chief executive officer (CEO) of the pharma company said a single drop of the medicine starts working in just 15 minutes and its effects remain for the next six hours. If the second drop is also poured within three to six hours of the first drop, the effect will stay even longer.

“Till now, there was no medicine-based solution for blurry, near-vision except wearing reading glasses, contact lenses, or a few surgical interventions.”

Starting from the first week of October, prescription-based drops will be available across pharmacies costing Rs 350. The medicine is indicated for the treatment of mild to intermediate presbyopia for people aged 40 to 55 years.

Masurkar claims that the medicine is the first of its kind in India which is tested on Indian eyes and customised as per the genetic fulcrum of the Indian population. The product will be sold only on prescriptions by registered medical practitioners.