New WaysToTreat Pink Eye (NAPSA)—There may be good news for parents and others looking to treat bacterial conjunctivi- tis, sometimescalled “pink eye.” A newly approved treatment could cut the amount of eye drops they use by more than half. Here’s a closer look: A Common Problem Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva, which is the mucous membranecovering the whites of the eye and the inner side of the eyelid. Causes of conjunctivitis can include: aller- gies, chemicals, viral or bacterial infections. Bacterial conjunctivitis is a common form of conjunctivitis that may be contagious and is common in children. New treatments may make pink eye easier to deal with. tivitis typically suffer from: Mucous discharge that may causethe eyelids to stick together A More Convenient Treatment Typical treatments for bacterial Swelling of the conjunctiva Irritation Itching ber of eye drops administered Tearing conjunctivitis require a high num- over a period of time. However, a treatment recently approved by the FDA, called AzaSite”™ (azithromycin ophthalmic solution) 1%, may make dealing with the problem easier. Doctors say AzaSite’s convenient dosing schedule is expected to allow for improved patient compliance, and it can be used on children as young as 1 yearold. In clinical tri- als, the side effect of eye irritation occurred following AzaSite administration in 1-2 percent of patients. “The treatment is formulated with the broad-spectrum antibiotic azithromycin and has a more convenient dosing regimen, requiring less than half the numberof drops for effective treatment compared to the most prescribed treatments,” said Terrence P. O’Brien, M.D., Professor of Ophthalmology and Charlotte Breyer Rodgers Distinguished Chair in Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of the University of Miami. “These attributes are particularly important when treating young children and busy adults.” Pink Eye Symptoms People with bacterial conjunc- Foreign body sensation Redness More Information If you or a loved one has symptoms of bacterial conjunctivitis, talk to a health care professional. For more information on treatments, visit www.inspirepharm. com or call 1-888-881-4696. Important Safety Information AzaSite is indicated for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis caused by the following organisms: CDC coryneform group G, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mitis group, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae. The recommended dosing regimen for the product is one drop twice-aday for two days, followed by one drop once-a-day for the next five days, for a total of nine drops per affected eye. AzaSite should not be injected subconjunctivally or introduced directly into the anterior chamber of the eye or other- wise administered systemically. In clinical trials, the most common adverse event in patients receiving AzaSite was eyeirritation, which occurred in 1-2 percent of patients.
