New eye drops - Ocumed 0.2%

[IanJ]

Hi all,

My eye doc has posted the following on his website.....have to say I haven't tried OCUMED 0.2% yet, although I have been on 0.1% for over a year. Just got my 0.2% delivered this morning....looking forward to trying them!

QUOTE:-

"Ocumed Tears 0.2% is the best of the Hyaluronate genre of dry eye products I have seen during 20 years of specialising in this field. This new formulation of 0.2% is just superb. It is difficult to obtain in the UK, being hugely popular with German doctors. Like all Hyaluronate products it is not available on the NHS drug tariff. In our dry eye clinic, it has now displaced all the other lubricants listed here. Finally I can unreservedly recommend a single dry eye product - it's all rather exciting.

Ocumed tears is a preservative-free non-newtonian hypotonic fluid with biphasic muco-adhesive properties. This means it mimics human tears by not only gripping the eye's surface but actually penetrates to re-hydrate the eye. It is impossible to over-dose - the dry eye will absorb what it needs to fully hydrate from the Ocumed. Then with a blink, as the upper lid speeds downwards to close, Ocumed's viscosity decreases to allow non-frictional lid closure (great for corneal healing). Just after a blink, Ocumed's viscosity increases, giving extended wetability during the waiting time before the next lubricating blink - great for computer users starring at screens in air conditioned offices.

What sets Ocumed apart from other Hyaluronate products is its manufacturing purity. "High definition" is not clever marketing terminology, it means Ocumed's molecules are almost the same size. It is this attention to detail which gives Ocumed its clinical lead. Somehow the manufacturers have created a non-blurring super lubricant that lasts a long time with no side effects. I am prescribing it before bed to lubricate the eye during the rapid eye movements (REM) of dream-phase sleep - and also upon wakening to fully re-hydrate the eye at the day's start.

Dry eye patients no longer require sticky gels at night and short-acting watery products during the day."

[stella]

Very promising for us in UK !!
Who's your eye doc Ian? and what is the hospital that actually has a dry eye clinic in the UK ?
Where can we get hold of Ocumed 0.2%?
apologies for all these questions - but I'm sure lots of us will be interested
THANKS a million for this post and we sure wish you well as you start this new occular lubricant.Do keep us posted on how you are doing with it
Stella

[IanJ]

Stella,

David Crystal's practice is in Edinburgh......he's a bit of a dry eye specialist. It's his own private shop/opthalmogist practice that incorporates his own dry eye clinic. He's got an online shop here where you can order Ocumed and all sorts of other stuff.

http://edinburgh-eyetests.co.uk/

I can best describe 0.2% as being a bit viscous but that it doesn't blur much on application, certainly nothing like Systane etc.

I've yet to see how it actually performs....as luck would have it after a bad couple of weeks I think I'm on the turn today.......good for me, bad for my Ocumed 0.2% trial..........

PS. I have written a strong complaint to the Scottish Executive and the NHS regarding the quality of their dry eye diagnosis & treatments. They are way, way behind the times.....and we all suffer because of it. I won't tolerate "your eyes look ok to me" and shrugged shoulders any more. I had to go private to get a proper diagnosis of my own eye conditions......that's a fact I am completely disgusted with. Down with the NHS!!!

Ian.

[stella]

Exactly my sentiments on NHS and DE - I have an appointment at a "corneal "clinic in large teaching hospital and have a lot of questions i will be asking - If i get no satisfaction i will probably write and complain.I need to give them a chance though
Concerning Ocumed 0.2% I googled it and found it on David Crystal's site so realized your source
It is quite expensive Is there any chance he might have shares in the stuff or anything like that? I know he is very highly recommended and have no wish to cast aspertions.( Maybe my DE has made me paranoid- would'nt be surprised)
Will wait and see how you get on - sorry to make you the guinea-pig Ian
Glad you are well ,congrats on speaking up and writing ,and good luck with the new drops
Will be waiting hopefully for good results
Stella

[liz56]

IanJ, do let us know how the drops work for you. I hope to hear that they help!

I found the following information about them, for those who can understand chemistry more than I can. I also read that their active ingredient is often used to treat glaucoma.

http://www.promedgroup.com/ocumed.htm

Ocumed Eye Drops

Therapeutic Category : Ophthalmic Hypotensive

Composition :
1. Ocumed Eye Drops (0.25%) : Each ml contains Timolol maleate USP equivalent to Timolol 2.5 mg.
2. Ocumed Eye Drops (0.5%): Each ml contains Timolol maleate USP equivalent to Timolol 5.0 mg.

Pharmacology : Timolol is a beta adrenergic blocking agent. It decreases intraocular pressure by decreasing the production of aqueous humour by the ciliary body. It is a well-tolerated and efficacious drug with no adverse effect on visual acuity, accommodation or size of the pupil.

[Randal]

Availability in US?

Does anyone know whether Ocumed, Vismed, Hylocomod, and the like are available in the US?

I know that sodium hyaluronate-based drops such as Blink (0.15%) and Aquify (0.1%) are available, being labeled as contact lens rewetting drops; but is there anything available with a higher concentration?

Thanks.

Randal

[evang]

I have found that a Hyaluronate based products, namely Vismed, is far more effective in reducing my dry eye symptoms than any other product I have tried. Can anybody who have used Vismed compare it with Ocumed tears?

On another note it seems that Hyaluronate based eye drops are much more expensive (about double price) than other products in my country. Is this the case with other countries? Can anybody offer any web sites with good prices?

[Toril]

Hello!

..yes, it's the same in Norway too when it comes to eyedrops containing hyaluronic acid. We only have 2 to choose from though, Hylocomod and Oxyal. I don't remember the price on Oxyal right now, but I use Hylocomod, and the price vary from 22 Euro to 31,6 Euro (depending in what shop/pharmacy you buy it)!! It's rediciously expensive. I go to France 2-3 times a year, and as I've found out Hylocomod (and also other eyedrops) are half the price there, I usually buy some bottles to bring back home. How much does Hylocomod cost in Greece?

Greetings, Toril

[indrep]

Randal

The only lubricant with high molecular weight Hyaluronate in it is available from www.oasistears.com. They come in .15% and .3% concentrations.

[evang]

Hello Toril,
Yes I Live in Greece. Vismed drops cost on average 9 Euros for a box containing 20 bottles. Other brands from Alcon and Allergan cost about 4-5 Euros for the same quantity. I recently found out that Vismed (not sure for how long ) comes now in a bottle of 10 ml called "Multi". Has anybody tried that? Is it the "real" thing?

I found that ebay.com has a couple of stores carrying Vismed and Vismed Multi with prices that I think are better than the ones you mentioned. Give it a try...


P.S. On their website the following note is printed in red.
"On April 1st 2008 Vismed and Vismed Multi were added to the Drug Tariff, consequently both products can be prescribed on FP10.
The indication for Vismed and Vismed Multi is ‘moderate to severe sensations of ocular dryness".

I am not sure what this means. I guess it has to do with insurances. Perhaps somebody from England can explain.

[irish eyes]

How was Ocumed?

Stella,

David Crystal's practice is in Edinburgh......he's a bit of a dry eye specialist. It's his own private shop/opthalmogist practice that incorporates his own dry eye clinic. He's got an online shop here where you can order Ocumed and all sorts of other stuff.

http://edinburgh-eyetests.co.uk/

I can best describe 0.2% as being a bit viscous but that it doesn't blur much on application, certainly nothing like Systane etc.

I've yet to see how it actually performs....as luck would have it after a bad couple of weeks I think I'm on the turn today.......good for me, bad for my Ocumed 0.2% trial..........



PS. I have written a strong complaint to the Scottish Executive and the NHS regarding the quality of their dry eye diagnosis & treatments. They are way, way behind the times.....and we all suffer because of it. I won't tolerate "your eyes look ok to me" and shrugged shoulders any more. I had to go private to get a proper diagnosis of my own eye conditions......that's a fact I am completely disgusted with. Down with the NHS!!!

Ian.

Hi Ian

I am new to this site - and there are 2 things I would like to ask you!

Did you find the new formula Ocumed to be OK? I went to see David Crystal a few years ago and he prescribed Ocumed but it didn't really suit my eyes. I would be interested to know how different this other stuff is. After 15 years of blepharitis and dry eye, I have yet to find an eye drop that doesn't irritate.

Second item - I was interested to see that you had written a letter to the Scottish Executive and the NHS. Did you get any sort of response? I have the misfortune to suffer from occasional bouts of uveitis (inflammation of the iris) and the NHS have provided excellent support and help for that. On the other hand, dry eye and blepharitis is far more painful and debilitating but it is trivialised. For the past few years, I have been trying to `manage' things on my own - knowing the response I would get if I returned to the hospital. On my last visit, I actually asked the head of the dept whether these conditions were taken that seriously - and his answer was no. Where does that leave us?

[brd888]

I have been trying to `manage' things on my own - knowing the response I would get if I returned to the hospital. On my last visit, I actually asked the head of the dept whether these conditions were taken that seriously - and his answer was no. Where does that leave us?

Hi Irisheyes,
Yes frustrating, isn't it? I'm in exactly the same boat. Maybe they are just like that because of the few options available to them to treat it? It seems to me that all treatments for blepharitis take a long time to work therefore it is not easy to determine how successful these treatments are?
I take it uveitis is more responsive to treatments?
Regards,
Bruce.

[irish eyes]

Hi Bruce

I wonder what research is actually being done? There are several scams around that claim to `cure' this condition and I can understand people being desperate enough to shell out even more cash in some vain hope. It's so wrong.

Uveitis is a serious condition in that it can be sight threatening. I developed a cataract as a result of using steroids but that is the standard treatment. Thankfully, uveitis responds well to steroids, so once you are better, you can get on with your life until the next bout. (The writer James Joyce suffered with it and the poor man only had access to leeches and morphine so significant advances made in that area)!

Blepharitis and dry eye on the other hand gives no such hope; chronic pain and discomfort is very depressing and depression can exacerbate it ...so it's a horrid cycle to be trapped in.

[paulh]

new hyalruonic drops available on prescription in UK- Ocusan

I have been told that these new drops, Ocusan 0.2% hyaluronic preservative free are now available on prescription in the UK. I have been paying for them up to now via www.ocusan.co.uk but will now try to get them from my doctor.

The think i like is the vial can be resealed and used for 12 hours after opening and the vial has about 12-15 drops.

Hope you have some success getting hold of them

[jlg_uk]

Does anyone know if the current sodium Hyaluronate drops are safe with respect to Corneal calcification? see http://bjo.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/90/3/285

Note - I'm not saying they're not (I use them sometimes) - I'm just trying to find out if that was all long ago and no longer relevant. If indeed I have the right end of the stick at all.