Vuity Eye Drops for Presbyopia: Effectiveness, Cost, and More

If you have trouble seeing things up close, Vuity's FDA approval may have been memorable. It was the first medication to be approved for presbyopia, a vision problem that causes difficulty focusing on objects or details that are close to you.

Presbyopia is not necessarily a medical problem. It's one component of our natural aging process. Still, depending on how your vision changes over time, presbyopia can worsen your quality of life after you begin to notice it. Corrective eyewear - like reading glasses - can help, but you may be looking for another solution.

What is Vuity?

Vuity is an eye drop medication that treats presbyopia in adults. It contains a special version of pilocarpine, which is an anticholinergic medication. It's available in a strength of 1.25%, and it comes in a 5 mL bottle. You can get it with a prescription after seeing an eye doctor.

Vuity is made by Allergan, an affiliate company of AbbVie.

How does Vuity work for treating presbyopia?

Vuity works by making your pupils temporarily smaller so they can focus on objects that are close to you. It does this by affecting chemical binding sites in your eyes called muscarinic receptors. When Vuity binds to these receptors, it makes muscles in your eye contract. In turn, this makes your pupils smaller. This helps improve focus, which enhances near-range and intermediate-range vision. It doesn't affect long-range vision.

After Vuity is administered into the eyes, it can start to work within 15 minutes. It can continue working for up to 6 hours. However, it may take about a month for the medication to work at its best.

What causes presbyopia?

Getting older may lead to presbyopia. This is because the lenses in your eyes can naturally stiffen with age.

Normally, when you look at objects or text up close, muscles in your eyes squish your lenses so they're a bit thicker than they were before. When your lenses bend into a rounder shape, it's easier to focus on close-range objects. But if your lenses become more stiff over time, it's harder for them to change shape and focus on small details that are close to you.

How is Vuity dosed?

Vuity eye drops are given into each eye once daily. Only one drop is needed per eye.

If you use other eye medications in addition to Vuity, it's recommended to separate doses by at least 5 minutes. You should also take out your contact lenses before using Vuity and to wait at least 10 minutes before reinserting them.

If you haven't used eye drops before and are prescribed Vuity, the American Academy of Ophthalmology offers helpful tips on how to use them.

Why was Vuity's FDA approval important?

There are plenty of eye drops on the market that can treat many eye conditions, so why is Vuity's approval relevant?

Simply put, it was the first eye drop that can be used to treat presbyopia. Otherwise, the most common way to treat presbyopia is through corrective eyewear. Depending on your needs, different types of glasses or contacts may be used to correct short-range vision problems. These may include reading, bifocal, or progressive glasses. Bifocal and multifocal contact lenses can also help.

Given the sheer number of people that live with presbyopia, this approval has the potential to help many people who wish to avoid or limit the use of corrective eyewear.

How effective is Vuity?

Combined data from two clinical trials - GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2 - contributed to Vuity's FDA approval.

In these two trials, 750 people who were between the ages of 40 and 55 and living with presbyopia were studied. Half of the participants received Vuity, and the other half received a placebo eye drop. Placebo refers to a substance with no medication in it.

The studies found that Vuity significantly improved short-range vision compared to placebo after 30 days of use. These effects were studied in low light conditions, or conditions that are about halfway between daylight brightness and darkness found at nighttime.

Importantly, the studies also found that Vuity had no impact on long-range vision.

What are the known side effects of Vuity?

What we know about Vuity's potential risks and side effects comes from the GEMINI 1 and GEMINI 2 clinical trials.

Thankfully, no serious side effects occurred during the studies. But, as with all medications, there are a number of possible side effects.

The most common side effects found were headache and conjunctival hyperemia - a type of eye inflammation. Conjunctival hyperemia can cause eye redness. Less common side effects that occurred in these trials included:

• Altered vision

• Blurry vision

• Eye irritation

• Eye pain

• Watery eyes

After Vuity's approval, there have also been rare reports of retinal detachment in people who have used the medication. This is a vision-threatening eye condition. Because of this risk, it's recommended to receive a retinal exam prior to using Vuity. And if you suddenly see flashing lights, eye floaters, or experience vision loss, seek medical attention right away.

Where can you buy Vuity eye drops?

Vuity is now available at U.S. pharmacies. However, you can't purchase it over the counter. It's available by prescription only. You can pick up Vuity from your pharmacist after seeing an eye doctor (optometrist or ophthalmologist).

How to save on Vuity

There are ways to save on Vuity, which is currently only available as a brand-name medication. GoodRx can help you save up to 10% off the average retail price of Vuity at certain pharmacies.

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