Rebamipide eases dry eye symptoms, results show

A 2% rebamipide suspension is more effective than a 0.1% sodium hyaluronate solution for treatment of dry eye, according to Shigeru Kirsohita, MD, PhD, department of ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Japan, and colleagues.

In a multicenter randomized clinical trial in 188 patients with dry eye, rebamipide ophthalmic suspension (OPC-12759, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals) was more effective than sodium hyaluronate in corneal and conjunctival staining tests and was reported by patients to be more effective for relieving foreign-body sensation and eye pain, the authors report.

“These results suggest that rebamipide may lead to improved treatment of corneal and conjunctival epithelial damage and improvement in symptoms in patients with dry eye. Such efficacy, in addition to the well-tolerated profile of rebamipide, makes it a potentially useful treatment option for dry eye,” they wrote in an article in Ophthalmology. 

Rebamipide, a derivative of quinolone-class antibiotics, is a mucin secretagogue approved in Japan for protection of gastric mucosa and for treatment of dry eye. It has been shown in human and animal studies to enhance secretion of mucin to support tear film adhesion and slow tear film break-up time.