Newsblurb: Eyelash lengthening stuff by Allergan

Just a little heads up (again) about this. I think that people with dry eye are probably especially likely to consider ways to enhance their eye appearance that don't involve makeup... so beware that this could actually make your dry eyes worse.

UPDATE 2-Allergan drug lengthens eyelashes -US FDA staff

A drug from Botox maker Allergan Inc (AGN.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) increased the length, thickness and darkness of eyelashes in a company study, U.S. drug reviewers said in a report released on Wednesday.

The analysis was prepared for a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel that meets Friday to evaluate the proposed cosmetic use of the drug, bimatoprost, now sold for treating glaucoma.

The panel of outside experts will consider if bimatoprost offers enough benefit to outweigh the risks of its use on the eyelashes, the FDA staff report said.

Four out of 137 patients who used the drug, which was applied daily along the upper eyelids, dropped out of Allergan's study because of mild or moderate eczema, dry eye, eye inflammation or dermatitis, FDA staff said.

Allergan, in a separate summary, said problems reported by users "occurred at a low frequency and were largely mild in severity, cosmetic in nature, and reversible." They included eye itchiness reported by 3.6 percent of patients, and eye irritation reported by about 2 percent of patients.

Gee, Allergan, I don't remember dry eye being cosmetic in nature.