Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist on the new eye drop treatment that promises to restore vision loss

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

If you’ve found yourself holding a book at arm’s length or squinting at your phone in dim light, you’re not alone. Almost everyone develops presbyopia as they get older. It’s a natural part of aging where the eye’s lens loses flexibility, making it harder to focus on nearby objects.

Traditionally, the go-to solution has been reading glasses, or, for some, surgery. But now, a surprising contender is on the horizon: eye drops.

At the recent Congress of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, researchers presented results that could change how presbyopia is treated. In a study of 766 patients, eye drops combining pilocarpine and diclofenac helped people read extra lines on a near-vision chart, and the improvements lasted for up to two years.

The drops contain two active ingredients working in tandem:

• Pilocarpine: an older drug that contracts the eye’s ciliary muscle and makes the pupil smaller. This helps sharpen focus for near objects.
• Diclofenac: a common anti-inflammatory drug that eases the discomfort pilocarpine can cause.

Together, they act like a workout and cushion for the eye: one trains the focusing muscles, the other keeps irritation at bay.

Patients in the study used the drops twice a day once in the morning and once later in the afternoon, with the option for a third dose if needed.

The findings were striking:

• Within one hour of the first dose, patients could typically read three extra lines on the near-vision chart.
• 99% of those using the lowest concentration (1% pilocarpine) gained at least two lines of improvement.
• For many, the improvements lasted more than a year, with some maintaining better vision for nearly two years.
• Side effects were mild and included temporary dim vision (32%), irritation (3.7%), and headaches (3.8%). Importantly, no serious complications like retinal detachment were reported.

Imagine a future where instead of fumbling for your reading glasses at dinner, you simply use an eye drop in the morning and carry on with clear sight throughout the day.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.