Disinfecting solution yields new option for lens care

The multipurpose solution (MPS) is formulated with a unique combination of ingredients, including two disinfectants (alexidine and polyquaternium ammonium), plus lens conditioning agents. In the opinion of Marguerite B. McDonald, MD, FACS, the MPS is an exciting new option for enabling safe and comfortable soft contact lens wear.

"Outcomes from extensive testing show that the new MPS provides effective disinfecting and cleaning activity along with excellent patient satisfaction because of high lens comfort and the ease of using a single bottle for lens care," said Dr. McDonald, clinical professor of ophthalmology at NYU Langone Medical Center, NY, and cornea/refractive/external disease specialist, Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island, Lynbrook, NY.

"There were minimal adverse events in the clinical study, including a very low incidence of corneal staining," Dr. McDonald said. "The patients in the study, who were veteran contact lens wearers, especially liked the product's convenience and rated it highly for providing better end-of-day comfort relative to previously used lens-care solutions.

"When asked at study completion about willingness to purchase the product, their responses were overwhelmingly positive in showing a majority wished it were already commercially available," she said.

The new MPS was specifically engineered by formulation scientists to provide enhanced comfort for patients wearing silicone-hydrogel as well as conventional soft contact lenses and is noteworthy for its surface conditioning of silicone-hydrogel contact lenses and ability to minimize lipid accumulation, Dr. McDonald said.

"Extensive research went into the product development, including input from more than 600 eye-care professionals worldwide and the cooperation of scientists with expertise in silicone-hydrogel material, microbiology, and chemistry," she said. "Challenged by some difficult goals, the formulators were successful in creating a solution that offered good compatibility with silicone-hydrogel material along with unsurpassed disinfecting activity."