The eye drop emulsion, Cationorm, significantly improved ocular discomfort in patients with ocular dryness, in a cross-sectional study presented recently at the International Cornea & Contact Lenses Congress (ICCLC) in Sydney.1
Eighty-four percent of contact lens wearers in the multicentre study reported that Cationorm reduced ocular discomfort associated with ocular dryness after 15 days of treatment, regardless of lens material, type of lenses, and frequency of eye drop use (95% CI 78.6% – 89.6%).1
Complete resolution of signs of ocular discomfort was reported by close to half of the study participants
Cationorm is a preservative-free, lubricating eye drop which alleviates the symptoms of ocular dryness often reported by contact lens wearers.
The emulsion, which includes lipids, surfactants and glycerol, targets replenishment and stabilisation of all layers of tear film, and aids in restoring ocular surface homeostasis.2-4 It is administered as one drop, up to four-times daily in the affected eye, and is compatible with contact lenses.5
Complete resolution of signs of ocular discomfort was reported by close to half of the study participants, with 87.6% describing their experience of using Cationorm as satisfying, or very satisfying.1
Cationorm was well tolerated, with only 8% of patients reporting an adverse event (blurred vision, irritation, itching, burning and red eye).6
According to optometrist and President of the International Society of Contact Lens Specialists, Damon Ezekiel, Perth, “Eye care practitioners are aware that the contact lens market is not growing due to contact lens discontinuation of patients, and the top reasons for contact lens dropout is discomfort (24.4%) and dryness (19.9%).7
“Recently, we have been fortunate to have the availability of Cationorm.
“This study demonstrates that patients with DED associated with contact lens use may benefit from Cationorm,” said Mr Ezekiel.
“The majority of my contact lens patients are struggling with the demands of a digital world, which decreases their contact lens comfort as the day progresses. My advice to these patients who are showing signs and symptoms of decreased comfort with their contact lens wear, is to use Cationorm preservative-free drops up to four times a day.
“Within a short amount of time, many patients have reported an improvement in all-day comfortable contact lens wear, and the benefits that accompany this,” Mr Ezekiel said.
“It is interesting to note that in recent times, contact lens wearers who are regular mask users have been found to have a marked increase in dry eye symptoms, including those who have never previously experienced dry eye, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“So innovative additions to the market, such as Cationorm, are more important than ever,” he added.
The Cationorm Difference
Cationic emulsions, such as Cationorm, work via an electrostatic interaction between the positively charged emulsion and negatively charged cells on the ocular surface, which is designed to prolong resistance time and reduce tear washout.5,8
Its physiochemical properties, including low viscosity, pH similar to tears and hypotonicity, are designed to mimic those of real tears.9,10 These features aim to provide maximum comfort for Cationorm users.11 As a result, almost nine in 10 contact lens wearers in this study expressed a desire to continue with daily treatment of their condition.1
In a non-inferiority study with moderate to severe DED patients, Cationorm reduced the total symptoms of dry eye more effectively than HA 0.18% after four weeks (mean reduction 38% vs. 19.9% respectively; difference p=0.0469).4
Cationorm is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (10mL multidose bottle) and is also available in single use ampoules.5
References
1. Chang D, et al. Cationorm® for treatment of ocular discomfort associated with ocular dryness in contact lens wearers. [Poster] Presented at the International Cornea & Contact Lens Congress (ICCLC), 15-17 October 2022, Sydney, Australia.
2. Daull P, Lallemand F, Garrigue JS. Benefits of cetalkonium chloride cationic oil-in-water nanoemulsions for topical ophthalmic drug delivery. J Pharm Pharmacol. 2014;66(4):531-41.
3. Lallemand F, Daull P, Benita S, Buggage R, Garrigue JS. Successfully improving ocular drug delivery using the cationic nanoemulsion, novasorb. J Drug Deliv. 2012;2012:604204.
4. Robert PY, Cochener B, Amrane M, Ismail D, Garrigue JS, Pisella PJ, et al. Efficacy and safety of a cationic emulsion in the treatment of moderate to severe dry eye disease: a randomized controlled study. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2016;26(6):546-55.
5. Cationorm Product Package.
6. Dumbleton K, Caffery B, Dogru M, Hickson-Curran S, Kern J, Kojima T, et al. The TFOS International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort: report of the subcommittee on epidemiology. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2013;54(11):Tfos20-36.
7. Pucker AD, Tichenor AA. A Review of Contact Lens Dropout. Clin Optom (Auckl). 2020;12:85-94.
8. Lyseng-Williamson KA. Cationorm® (cationic emulsion eye drops) in dry eye disease: a guide to its use. Drugs Ther Perspect. 2016;32:317-22.
9. Daull P, Amrane M, Ismail D, Georgiev G, Cwiklik L, Baudouin C, et al. Cationic Emulsion-Based Artificial Tears as a Mimic of Functional Healthy Tear Film for Restoration of Ocular Surface Homeostasis in Dry Eye Disease. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2020;36(6):355-65.
10. Daull P, Feraille L, Barabino S, Cimbolini N, Antonelli S, Mauro V, et al. Efficacy of a new topical cationic emulsion of cyclosporine A on dry eye clinical signs in an experimental mouse model of dry eye. Experimental Eye Research. 2016;153:159-64.
11. Amrane M, Creuzot-Garcher C, Robert PY, Ismail D, Garrigue JS, Pisella PJ, et al. Ocular tolerability and efficacy of a cationic emulsion in patients with mild to moderate dry eye disease – a randomised comparative study. J Fr Ophtalmol. 2014;37(8):589-98.