Durezol studied as treatment option for scleritis

Video transcript

Note: This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Meghan Berkenstock, MD, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University:

Hi, my name is Megan Berkenstock. I'm an associate professor of ophthalmology at the Wilmer Eye Institute, and I am happy to present my poster, which is being presented here at the AAO. It's about the effectiveness of Durezol for the treatment of scleritis and patients already on systemic therapy.

We looked at over two years of patients who are taking NSAIDs, prednisone and/or other immunosuppressive drugs to see if Durezol was a viable alternative to either increases in prednisone and/or changes in immunosuppression as a means of treatment.

Of the patient who started Durezol, 79.6% had resolution of their anterior scleritis. Of these, two to four drops per day were needed in order to achieve quiescence, and the median time was nine weeks.

Only five patients had a drop in vision of two or more lines. And that was either due to cataract progression in two or an unrelated reason in three. We only had less than 25% with an increased pressure rise. And thus we feel that Durezol as an adjunct for the treatment of scleritis is a viable option and it decreases the risk of prednisone side effects.

However, it should not be used in patients only with systemic immunosuppression needs for systemic autoimmune disease. And 70% of our patients in the cohort did have an underlying autoimmune disorder. And some of these patients, 11 In total, require an increase in their immunosuppression in order to achieve quiescence. Thank you