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Diquafosol Ophthalmic Solution 3 %: A Review of Its Use in Dry Eye

Drugs volume 75, pages 911–922 (2015)Cite this article

Abstract

Diquafosol ophthalmic solution 3 % (Diquas®) is a P2Y2 receptor agonist that promotes tear fluid and mucin secretion and is currently approved in Japan and South Korea for the treatment of dry eye. In randomized, double-blind, multicentre trials in patients with dry eye, significantly greater improvements in fluorescein and rose bengal staining scores were seen with diquafosol ophthalmic solution 3 % than with placebo, and diquafosol ophthalmic solution 3 % was noninferior to sodium hyaluronate ophthalmic solution 0.1 % in terms of the improvement in the fluorescein staining score and more effective than sodium hyaluronate ophthalmic solution 0.1 % in terms of the improvement in the rose bengal staining score. The efficacy of diquafosol ophthalmic solution 3 % in the treatment of dry eye was maintained in the longer term, with improvements also seen in subjective dry eye symptoms, and was also shown in a real-world setting. Diquafosol ophthalmic solution 3 % also demonstrated efficacy in various specific dry eye disorders, including aqueous-deficient dry eye, short tear film break-up time dry eye, obstructive meibomian gland dysfunction, dry eye following laser in situ keratomileusis surgery and dry eye following cataract surgery, as well as in contact lens wearers and visual display terminal users. Diquafosol ophthalmic solution 3 % was generally well tolerated in patients with dry eye, with eye irritation the most commonly reported adverse event. In conclusion, diquafosol ophthalmic solution 3 % is a useful option for the treatment of dry eye.

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Disclosure

The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding. During the peer review process, the manufacturer of the agent under review was offered an opportunity to comment on this article. Changes resulting from comments received were made by the author on the basis of scientific and editorial merit. Gillian Keating is a salaried employee of Adis/Springer.

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    Gillian M. Keating

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Correspondence to Gillian M. Keating.

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The manuscript was reviewed by: Y. Hori, Department of Ophthalmology, Toho University Omori Medical Center, Tokyo, Japan; S. Koh, Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan; Y. Mori, Miyata Eye Hospital, Miyakonojo, Japan; M. Yamada, Department of Ophthalmology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

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Keating, G.M. Diquafosol Ophthalmic Solution 3 %: A Review of Its Use in Dry Eye. Drugs 75, 911–922 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-015-0409-7

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