Grapes Will Do Your Eye Health Good

HOT TOPIC

New Presbyopia Approval

Last week, the FDA approved pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution 0.4% (Qlosi, Orasis Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of presbyopia in adults. This is a significant milestone for the company, as it continues its mission to provide a flexible treatment option for the millions of people with presbyopia in the United States.

Qlosi is a preservative-free, low dose eye drop for presbyopia that consistently demonstrated efficacy, safety, and tolerability in two pivotal phase 3 trials. It improves near vision without affecting distance or night vision. Qlosi can be used daily or as needed, up to twice daily. It demonstrated efficacy 20 minutes after administration and can last up to 8 hours. The drop is expected to be commercially available in the United States in the first half of 2024.

My Two Cents

First off, let’s talk about the name, Qlosi. At first glance, I thought this was another random pharmaceutical name that didn’t make any sense. However, when you look at the pronunciation guide, it’s actually pronounced “CLOH-see” or essentially, “close see.” Julie Speed, senior vice president, head of strategy and marketing, and her team at Orasis nailed the name, in my opinion. Very clever and well done!

Personally, I can’t wait to see how Orasis attacks the commercial launch of the product and I am excited about having a preservative-free version of pilocarpine that lasts for up to 8 hours.

OUTSIDE THE LANE

Grapes Are the New Carrots

A new study has found that grape consumption benefits eye health, adding to a growing body of knowledge about the benefits of a plant-forward diet coupled with moderate wine consumption. The research is the first of its kind to examine the effects of regular grape consumption on crucial eye health markers.

Key risk factors for eye diseases have been found to include oxidative stress and high levels of ocular advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which have been associated with a range of eye problems. Dietary antioxidants have been found to have the potential to enhance retinal health, specifically by elevating macular pigment optical density, a measure of the density of the eye’s macular pigment in the center of the retina, which protects the eye by absorbing blue light.

Although it was a small study of only 34 patients, it is still notable in my opinion. The group of patients was divided into two subgroups: one consumed a daily equivalent of 1.5 cups of table grapes, while the other was administered a placebo for a span of 16 weeks. The results showed that those who had the grape regimen exhibited a “significant” surge in macular pigment optical density, plasma antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content compared with their counterparts, who received the placebo. However, those who abstained from grape consumption were found to have an increase in harmful AGEs. (Read more here.)

My Two Cents

If you know me, you know I love reading studies and research on ocular nutrition. After devoting a substantial amount of time to creating the Dry Eye Drink, studies such as this show us that we still have so much to learn regarding which nutrients the human eye can fully benefit from. This study shows us just how good grapes are for us and offers another compelling argument that settling down after a long day of dealing with patients (and vision plans) with a glass of wine kills two birds with one stone: it helps us relax and offers some health benefits.

CAN YOU RELATE

I attended the recent American Academy of Optometry meeting in New Orleans. It’s always great when these big meetings make their way to NOLA, as it’s my stomping ground, and I love showing the city off to both new and old friends alike. This was a particularly extraordinary meeting for me, as I was blessed to be part of the launch event for the new Demodex blepharitis medication, Xdemvy (Tarsus Pharmaceutical), and I even got to share the stage with my optometric hero, Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO.

If you couldn’t attend the launch event in New Orleans, it was full of the usual pomp and circumstance that we like down here in the Bayou state, complete with a brass band, Mardi Gras statues, and wonderful food. The event was also full of my patients! (Tarsus asked me to choose several patients who had tried various treatments for Demodex, prescribe them Xdemvy, follow their journey, and then ask them to come speak to the doctors in attendance about their experience.)

Two of the patients I chose were my toughest cases. The first, my star technician Robin, has dealt with Demodex for years, and has tried everything from tea tree wipes, to six sessions of intense pulsed light therapy, to everything else you could imagine, but has only managed moderate improvement. After just 3 weeks on Xdemvy, we’ve seen substantial improvement in signs and symptoms that are leaps and bounds better than anything else she’s experienced.

Robin before (left) and 3 weeks after beginning treatment with Xdemvy (right).

The second patient I brought along was Brittney, a pharmacist who has also struggled with longstanding dry eye and Demodex blepharitis. She too had not gotten substantial relief from any other treatment until we tried Xdemvy.

After the presentation, doctors came up to me just to express how powerful it was. They loved hearing directly from my patients. Kudos to Tarsus for making the event not about the doctors up there talking about mechanisms of action, etc, but rather about the patients’ experiences!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.”

— Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the University of Michigan football team