Study: Restasis better than Endura?

I think I hear an echo. Seems like there was a published study not long ago demonstrating that Restasis is better than some other artificial tear. I find this type of study very amusing.... I guess not everyone is marching to the same drumbeat if five years after FDA approval the $100-a-month Rx treatment still has to be defended against OTC drops.

My question now: Are we destined to see a study comparing Restasis to every single tear on the market?

And my follow-up: As long as you include DWELLE, bring it on. I dare anyone out there (yoo hoo, are you listening industry?) to study comparative results of twice-daily dosing of Restasis and Dwelle.

Topical cyclosporine halts progression of dry eye better than tears, study shows
OSN Supersite, May 5 2008

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The use of topical cyclosporine is more effective than artificial tears at increasing goblet cell density and halting the progression of dry eye disease, according to the results of a study presented here.

The single-center clinical trial enrolled 74 patients between February 2006 and January 2007, and 58 of the patients completed the 12-month study, according to Sanjay N. Rao, MD, who presented the results at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

Patients were randomized to twice-daily treatment with either cyclosporine 0.05% (Restasis, Allergan) or artificial tears (Refresh Endura, Allergan), according to the study abstract. Outcomes were measured with Schirmer's test, the Ocular Symptom Disease Index, tear break-up time, staining, and goblet cell density at baseline and months 4, 8 and 12, the abstract said.

Patients who received cyclosporine treatment were less likely to have progression of dry eye: 5.5% of 36 cyclosporine patients compared with 31.8% of 22 artificial tears patients (P = .007). The cyclosporine patients also were more likely to have the disease halted or improved: 94% with cyclosporine vs. 68.2% with tears (P = .007).

Patients using artificial tears were more likely to discontinue their treatment regimen, the study showed.