A new trial, conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Illinois has just reported on the efficacy of Dexamethasone (known as Ozurdex) and concludes that ‘The newly approved dexamethasone implant, Ozurdex, is a useful addition to our local armamentarium in the treatment of noninfectious intermediate and posterior uveitis given its efficacy, safety, and ease of use in the outpatient’.

It also concludes that, on the available information, ‘The single injection, 26-week data indicate that the implant is well tolerated and produces meaningful improvements in intraocular inflammation and visual acuity that persist through 6 months. The available 6-month data also indicate that this implant confers much less of a risk of ocular hypertension than other forms of intraocular steroid therapy. However, future longer-term trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety data in patients who receive multiple injections.

We know that some of you are already on Dexamethasone (Ozurdex), and this sounds like good news for others who are not responding to oral immunosuppressants and steroids. Dexamethasone has received FDA approval in the US (FDA is the equivalent of our NICE – the National Clinical Institute of Excellence) so we should be able to get hold of it in exceptional circumstances.

Is anybody on Dexamethasone? Or Retisert (the article seems to conclude that Dexamethasone may be more effective, with less side effects than Retisert)? Anybody want to comment on this?

The full article can be found at: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1517/14656566.2011.571209

Rea