Azithromycin launches in United States

Durham, NC-Inspire Pharmaceuticals has launched the 1% azithromycin ophthalmic solution (AzaSite) developed by InSite Vision Inc. for the treatment of bacterial conjunctivitis in the United States. Administered via InSite's patented drug-delivery vehicle (DuraSite), the eye drop received FDA approval for the treatment of the condition in April.

The recommended dose for the solution is one drop twice a day for 2 days, followed by one drop once a day for the next 5 days, for a total of nine drops per affected eye. The current market leader's recommended dosing regimen is one drop three times a day for 7 days per affected eye, according to InSite.

"[The solution] is a welcome addition to the treatment regimen for bacterial conjunctivitis," said Francis S. Mah, MD, assistant professor of ophthalmology and co-medical director, Charles T. Campbell Ophthalmic Microbiology Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "In phase III clinical trials, [the solution] had excellent bacterial eradication rates against the three most common causes of bacterial conjunctivitis, with tolerability similar to placebo."

"We anticipate that [the drop] will become the first of multiple anti-infective therapies developed and commercialized with our . . . drug-delivery technology," said S. Kumar Chandrasekaran, PhD, InSite's chairman and chief executive officer.