Aging Well

FDA approves breakthrough eye drops that fix near vision without glasses

FDA approves breakthrough eye drops that fix near vision without glasses
These new drops offer up to 10 hours of clearer vision without glasses
These new drops offer up to 10 hours of clearer vision without glasses
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These new drops offer up to 10 hours of clearer vision without glasses
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These new drops offer up to 10 hours of clearer vision without glasses

The first aceclidine-based eye drop to improve near vision in adults with presbyopia, which affects more than 100 million adults in the US alone, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will be available within three months.

Known as VIZZ, from pharmaceutical company LENZ, the drops are an aceclidine ophthalmic solution that effectively treats presbyopia in adults. The once-daily drops offer relief from blurry near. vision for up to 10 hours.

"The FDA approval of VIZZ is a defining moment for LENZ and represents a transformative improvement in the available treatment options for the 128 million adults living with blurry near vision in the United States," said Eef Schimmelpennink, President and Chief Executive Officer of LENZ Therapeutics. "This significant milestone is the result of tremendous commitment and collaboration by the LENZ team and our partners, the dedication of our clinical investigators, and the contributions of hundreds of participants in our clinical trials."

VIZZ works by gently shrinking the pupil of the eye, using aceclidine. This creates a “pinhole effect” – like narrowing a camera lens — which helps bring nearby objects into sharper focus. Unlike older eye drops, this one does not significantly affect the eye’s focusing muscles, so it doesn’t blur your distance vision or cause that “zoomed-in” effect (aka a myopic shift).

Ultimately, the drops offer improved reading vision for up to 10 hours, without the need for glasses and, importantly, without the side effects of older treatments.

In 2021, the very first drops to treat this condition were launched to much acclaim, but there's a reason VIZZ drops are considered first-in-class. Vuity (pilocarpine hydrochloride 1.25%) is a dual-action eye drop that can improve near vision but may cause side effects like brow heaviness or rare vitreoretinal issues due to the ciliary muscle activation. Aceclidine, a pupil-selective miotic, works without significantly stimulating the focusing (ciliary) muscle, creating a pinhole effect – which improves near vision without adverse outcomes seen in Vuity.

"This FDA approval represents a disruptive paradigm shift in treatment options for millions of people who are frustrated and struggling with the inevitable age-related loss of their near vision," said VIZZ clinical investigator Marc Bloomenstein, from Schwartz Laser Eye Care Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. "I believe this will be a welcome solution for both optometrists and ophthalmologists who will now be able to offer a highly effective and sought-after presbyopia treatment that could immediately become the standard of care, with a product profile that will meet our patients’ needs."

The FDA approval comes on the back of three randomized, double-masked, controlled Phase II studies featuring hundreds of participants. VIZZ was well-tolerated with no serious adverse events observed in the 30,000-plus treatment days across all three trials.

Presbyopia is, unfortunately, an inevitable condition associated with aging. Almost everyone over the age of 45 experiences this near-sight vision loss, which gradually gets worse and usually requires correction with glasses or contact lenses. While presbyopia is a gradual condition, it can progress quickly and unexpectedly, making formerly simple tasks of day-to-day tasks like reading instructions or food labels more difficult.

The therapeutics company said VIZZ is expected to be broadly available in the fourth quarter of 2025, making it the first and only FDA-approved aceclidine-based eye drop for presbyopia treatment.

"This is uniquely engineered, highly-differentiated and designed to deliver quick onset and lasting benefit for the vast majority of presbyopes," said Schimmelpennink. "As we have shown, this is not only best-in-class, but frankly, the only in a class of pupil selective ciliary-sparing myotics."

The FDA approval comes based on trial data submitted by the pharmaceutical company, so it's worth noting that published peer-reviewed reports are yet to be published. Peer-reviewed publications often follow regulatory approvals, not precede them, which is common in the field of ophthalmology and dermatology.

However, the FDA data and guidance can be found published here.

Source: LENZ Therapeutics

15 comments
15 comments
paul314
So basically the equivalent of using brighter lights (which are known to increase the eye's depth of field)?
Brian M
For up to ten hours, doesn't seem that useful and probably needs a brighter lighter if it works by constricting the pupil, Plus having drops every 10 hours is not exactly an attractive proposition, better a pair of reading glasses a one off cost, no time limit and no risk of infection etc.
Will be hearing the call 'anyone seen my bottle'......
sidmehta
".. treatment options for millions of people who are frustrated and struggling with the inevitable age-related loss." No, they wear eye glasses. Better than putting chemicals in to your eye everyday for the rest of your life.
sidmehta
What we need are drops that dissolve cataract. They already have them for animals.
gimd
SMH, who is so foolish as to use things like this.
Chec78
I agree exactly with all the comments about having to put chemicals in your eyes every day to see better. Just use glasses or a magnifying glass now and again, without risk of infection, etc. and a one time cost!
freddotu
When I visit the ophthalmologist, eye drops are used to dilate the pupil, to facilitate inspection of the retina. It's fairly uncomfortable for a long period, as it's the opposite effect of this medication noted in the article. For a very brief time, there was a drop to counteract this effect, but it vanished within six months to a year. More recently, another drop is provided for an additional US$25.00, well worth it for the comfort factor and rapidly increased vision clarity. This article brings this sort of use to mind, depending on the cost per dose.
rgooding
People use contacts now, same issues as these drops would cause and yet they sell millions!! - they'll make billions of $$$
Username
My only concern would be long term daily use side effects. Otherwise bring it on. The end of , where are my reading glasses?, I forgot my reading glasses, damn these reading glasses...
JGTinNJ
I am older, near vision is blurry, but in bright sunlight I can read a classic phone book. So does this drop shrink my pupil but requires me to have a really bright light nearby?
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