The Food and Drug Administration has approved new eye drops that could potentially replace your reading glasses.
Vuity drops became available at pharmacies with a prescription for people with age-related blurry vision, known as presbyopia.
Approximately 128 million people in the United States are affected by presbyopia and nearly 90% of U.S. adults over 45 have issues with close-range vision. The drops also do not impair distance vision like reading glasses do.
The eye drops are approved for use once per day, with a drop being administered to each eye. They begin working in a little as 15 minutes and the effects can last up to six hours.
Dr. Christopher Starr, an ophthalmologist and spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told CNET that the eye drops work similar to a camera aperture. They constrict the pupil to increase the depth of focus. “Similar to a photograph in which the foreground and background are both in focus,” he said.
Vuity is made by Allergan, an AbbVie company.
“Most adults cope with presbyopia, or difficulty with near vision, as we age. Beginning around the age of 40, many find themselves using reading glasses, holding text further away, or even increasing the font size and lighting on screens to try to see more clearly,” said Michael Severino, M.D., vice chairman and president, AbbVie, via a press release. “We are proud to offer VUITY as a first-of-its-kind once-daily eye drop that we believe will change the way people and their eye doctors approach presbyopia. The FDA approval of VUITY exemplifies our continued pursuit of innovative new treatments that push the boundaries of what’s possible in eye care.”
However, there may be one downside to the revolutionary drops. Vuity is rarely covered by insurance and will set you back $80 for a 30 day supply.
