Eyecare pharmaceutical company Harrow and anesthesia company Sintetica have developed an FDA-approved ocular surface anesthesia, Iheezo.
Iheezo is a physician-administered gel that allows for localized anesthesia administration; it is the first branded ocular anesthetic approved by the FDA in 14 years.
Iheezo demonstrated safety and efficacy in three clinical trials, where it numbed the eye surface in one to one and a half minutes, and maintained numbness for 22 minutes without any supplemental treatment.
"We have always believed in the unique clinical value of Iheezo, and now that Iheezo is approved for use in the U.S. market, it has the potential to become an indispensable premium tool for eyecare professionals and their patients requiring ocular surface anesthesia," Mark Baum, Harrow's CEO, said in a Sept. 27 press release.