Recently, many media portals reported about a new, innovative eye drop that will ‘cure’ presbyopia, a common eyesight disorder among persons who are above 40 years of age.
🚨India's #drugregulatorybody has approved a new treatment designed to eliminate the need for reading glasses for millions suffering from #presbyopia.
— Business Today (@business_today) September 4, 2024
➡️ Mumbai-based #EntodPharmaceuticals has developed #PresVu Eye Drops, aimed at treating this age-related vision condition,… pic.twitter.com/1ZJeI5DRZG
“India’s drug regulatory body has approved a new treatment designed to eliminate the need for reading glasses for millions suffering from presbyopia. Mumbai-based Entod Pharmaceuticals has developed ‘PresVu’ eye drops, aimed at treating this age related vision condition, which affects between 1.09 billion and 1.80 billion people worldwide”, read a post by Business Today.
Mirror Now ran a post that read, “Imagine a world where we no longer need to reach for our reading glasses every time we pick up a book, check our phone, or at a menu. For millions of people over 40, this could soon be a reality. However, Entod Pharmaceuticals has introduced PresVu, India’s first eye drop designed specifically to reduce dependence on reading glasses for those with presbyopia a common age-related condition that makes it difficult to focus on close objects.”
Many media portals ran the ‘news’ declaring that the new eye drops by Entod Pharmaceuticals will help persons with presbyopia get rid of glasses. Naturally, curiosity around the product was spiked and some news reports and social media posts even hailed it as a remarkable innovation.
Kiran Majumdar Shaw, the founder-CEO of Biocon shared, “PresVu Eye drops that could eliminate the need for reading glasses approved – This is indeed promises to be a great innovation addressing a huge unmet need.”
Entod Pharma’s CEO Nikhil K Masurkar had shared the news of the PresVu’s approval by the Subject Expert Committee of Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in April. He had added that the drops can eliminate the need for eyeglasses in persons with mild to intermediate presbyopia.
Govt sources say the company is making ‘unethical, unverified claims’
Days after the so-called ‘innovation’ of the eye drops claimed headlines all over the country, government sources have stated that the claims ade by the company Entod Pharmaceuticals are misleading and unethical.
ANI quoted government sources saying, “This is unethical and false representation of facts. The company has been asked for an explanation for the false representation of the drug regulator.”
So currently, even the claims of DCGI approval are under doubt.
As per ANI, many medical experts had called the company’s product as an ‘imperfect and temporary’ solution.
ANI quoted Dr Charu Mittal, Senior Consultant, Department of Opthalmology at Max Hospital, Saket, Delhi, as saying, “Pilocarpine eye drops have been used for the treatment of glaucoma since at least 75 years. They constrict your pupils causing a pinhole effect helping you to read. It is an imperfect and temporary solution for reading problems. Spectacles are the perfect solution.”
Dr Samir Sud, the co-founder and director of Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals stated ANI, “This drop, PresVu, claims to clear your near vision, or what we call presbyopia. This drop is nothing but pilocarpine in a different concentration. It constricts your pupils and due to the pinhole effect, we can see near and distance without glasses. But pilocarpine also has some complications. We don’t know how this drug will behave in the eye after it goes to the masses.”
Dr Tushar Grover, Associate Consultant, Department of Opthalmology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said, “The drops recently introduced for correction of presbyopia are essentially pilocarpine eye drops at a relatively lower concentration. The molecule by itself is not new and has been around for decades, used in the treatment of glaucoma.”
ENTOD Pharma denies false representation, blames media for misleading headlines
Meanwhile, ENTOD Pharmaceuticals has dismissed allegations that it made unethical or false presentation of facts to the media or public about its product, PresVu eye drops.
Nikkhil K Masurkar, CEO, Entod Pharmaceuticals, said in a statement late Thursday evening, “We at ENTOD Pharmaceuticals hereby declare that we have not made any of the unethical or false presentation of facts to the media or public when it comes to PresVu eye drops. All facts disclosed to the media are strictly on the basis of the approved indication for treatment of presbyopia in adults and the Phase 3 clinical trial data generated by us. “
The company further mentioned that the opinions and claims printed in news stories do not represent ENTOD Pharmaceuticals. “Some of the opinions and claims printed in news stories do not represent that of ENTOD Pharmaceuticals or any of its spokespeople. The widespread media interest in such a therapy has been unprecedented and has led to sensationalization of the story.”
(With inputs from ANI)
