Investigational Optejet Microdose Dispenser From Eyenovia Shows Promise in Improving Treatment for Myopia, Presbyopia, and Patients Getting Eye Exams
Two recent studies show that the Optejet dispenser from Eyenovia may be a more "human-centric" design than traditional eye droppers, which may make treatments for vision problems, including myopia, presbyopia, and mydriasis easier to deliver, according to Eyenovia.
The investigational Optejet dispenser administers ophthalmic solutions horizontally using the company's proprietary Microdose Array Print (MAP) technology. The system has been shown to deliver accurate microdoses through a precision spray, dispensing medication with the push of a button with no need to tilt the head back, and requires minimal hand-eye coordination.
Traditional eye drops can deliver four to five times larger volumes of medication than the human eye can hold, which can cause overdosing and drug waste. The Optejet dispenser is designed to administer one-fifth of the volume of solution compared to a traditional eyedropper, making doses less likely to spill or run onto the patient's face.
"Traditional eye drops typically overdose a patient's eye with medication and preservatives, which can lead to significant dose-related side effects," said Michael Rowe, CEO of Eyenovia. "Optejet is proving to be easier to use and therefore may deliver the appropriate dose of medication to potentially decrease side effects."
One paper (Rathi, Scott, 2020) presented at the 2020 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery reviewed multiple studies comparing the Optejet dispenser with traditional eye droppers. In one study with the Optejet, the researcher successfully administered 96% of doses on the first attempt, and 95% of patients successfully self-administered the doses on the first attempt as well. Another study found ophthalmic technicians successfully delivered doses on 83% of first attempts and were successful 99% of the time within two attempts.
A separate study conducted by Eyenovia (2021) monitored the 6-month daily eye drop treatment compliance of 28 children ages 6 to 13 with pediatric progressive myopia. It found that nearly 90% of children using the Optejet once-daily treatment successfully complied with their treatment regimen. This compares favorably to the 50% compliance rate for pediatric ophthalmic medications or the 59-69% range for adult topical ophthalmic drug users (Naito, 2018; see also Patel, 1995; Winfield, 1990; Matsui, 1997).
The unique delivery mechanism of the Optejet has the potential to fundamentally change how people think about administering eye medication. Of 100 presbyopic patients between the ages of 40-55, four out of five said they would prefer using the investigational Optejet device over traditional eye drops, according to a survey conducted by Eyenovia.
Optejet has not been approved, cleared, or licensed by the US FDA for use, and it is not commercially available in the United States. For more information about the Optejet device, visit eyenovia.com.