EFFICACY AND SAFETY OF RIMEXOLONE 1-PERCENT OPHTHALMIC SUSPENSION VS 1-PERCENT PREDNISOLONE ACETATE IN THE TREATMENT OF UVEITIS

PURPOSE: Two multicenter studies compared the efficacy and safety of r imexolone 1% ophthalmic suspension (Vexol 1%, Alcon) and 1% prednisolo ne acetate (Pred Forte, Allergan). METHODS: Patients with acute uveiti s, recurrent iridocyclitis, or chronic uveitis treatable by topical co rticosteroid were enrolled, Treatment regimen was one or two drops eve ry hour during Week 1, every two hours during Week 2, four times a day during Week 3, and once a day for the last three days, Efficacy and s afety were determined on Days 3, 4, 7 to 10, 14, 21, and 28, A poststu dy evaluation was conducted 36 to 72 hours after treatment was stopped . RESULTS: When anterior chamber cell and flare were measured, rimexol one 1% was found to be as effective as 1% prednisolone. The largest di fference observed between treatments was 0.5 score unit, not clinicall y significant, There were no statistically significant differences in cell scores in either study (P > .05), No statistically significant di fferences in flare scores were found except at Day 28 in Study One (P = .04). Also, prednisolone was found to be more likely than rimexolone to cause a clinically significant increase (10 mm Hg or more) in intr aocular pressure (1.7 times more likely in Study One, eight times more likely in Study Two). CONCLUSION: Rimexolone 1% ophthalmic suspension is safe and effective for the treatment of uveitis.