NORTH CHICAGO, Ill.—Allergan, an AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) company, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave approval of Vuity (pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution) 1.25% for the treatment of presbyopia, commonly known as age-related blurry near vision, in adults. Vuity is the first and only FDA-approved eye drop to treat this common and progressive eye condition that affects 128 million Americans, nearly half of the U.S. adult population. "Most adults cope with presbyopia, or difficulty with near vision, as we age," said Michael Severino, MD, vice chairman and president, AbbVie.

"Beginning around the age of 40, many find themselves using reading glasses, holding text further away, or even increasing the font size and lighting on screens to try to see more clearly. We are proud to offer Vuity as a first-of-its-kind once-daily eye drop that we believe will change the way people and their eye doctors approach presbyopia. The FDA approval of Vuity exemplifies our continued pursuit of innovative new treatments that push the boundaries of what's possible in eyecare."

Vuity is a daily, prescription eye drop that works in as early as 15 minutes and lasts up to six hours, as measured on day 30, to improve near and intermediate vision without impacting distance vision. Specifically designed for presbyopia, Vuity is an optimized formulation of pilocarpine, an established eyecare therapeutic, delivered with pHast technology.
 
The proprietary pHast technology allows Vuity to rapidly adjust to the physiologic pH of the tear film. Vuity uses the eye's own ability to reduce pupil size, improving near vision without affecting distance vision.

"As we age, the lenses of our eyes become less flexible, making it more difficult to focus on things up close. Vuity offers a novel, safe, well-tolerated and effective alternative to current options for managing age-related blurry near vision," said George O. Waring IV, MD, FACS, medical director, Waring Vision Institute, South Carolina, and Gemini 1 and Gemini 2 principal study investigator. "I am particularly encouraged by the rapid onset of action and duration of efficacy for Vuity to improve near and intermediate vision without impacting distance vision with one drop daily, particularly for those with mild to moderate presbyopia."