In this article, Dr. Paul Karpecki takes a closer look at the various hyaluronic acid (HA)-based products optometrists currently have access to and the future role of HA-based therapies in the US. Due to HA’s ability to bind or retain water, its viscoelasticity, and would healing properties, it can be found in several products on the market today and is the focus of many researchers exploring its therapeutic applications. Dr. Karpecki points out that crosslinked HA-based innovations are on the horizon for eye care citing a poster presented at the 2017 American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery meeting. The poster described that administration of a crosslinked HA product to patients who underwent photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), a laser eye surgery used in vision correction, accelerated the rate of healing with more than 83% of patients healing within three days compared with an average of 53.8% using today’s current therapy of choice, bandage contact lens.
EyeGate Pharmaceutical’s proprietary Ocular Bandage Gel is a crosslinked HA-based gel shown to provide a mechanical barrier that aids in the management of defects of the cornea and for the acceleration of wound healing of the ocular surface following surgery, injection, and traumatic and non-traumatic conditions.
The article can be viewed by clicking here.