Loteprednol Etabonate (Submicron) Ophthalmic Gel 0.38%: A Review in Post-Operative Inflammation and Pain Following Ocular Surgery

<div>Compliance with Ethical Standards</div><div>Funding: The preparation of this review was not supported by any external funding.</div><div>Conflicts of interest: Connie Kang, Susan J. Keam, Matt Shirley and Yahiya Y. Syed are salaried employees of Adis International Ltd/Springer Nature, are responsible for the article content and declare no relevant conflicts of interest.</div><div><br></div><div>Additional information about this Adis Drug Review can be found <b><a href="http://www.springer.com/gp/adis/products-services/adis-journals-newsletters/adis-drug-reviews">here</a></b><br></div><div><br></div><div>Abstract</div><div><p>Loteprednol etabonate ophthalmic gel 0.38% (Lotemax^® SM; hereafter referred to as loteprednol etabonate gel 0.38%) is a topical ophthalmic corticosteroid approved in the USA for the treatment of post-operative inflammation and pain following ocular surgery. This formulation provides improved drug delivery compared with loteprednol etabonate micronized gel 0.5%, with a smaller drug particle size (in the submicron range) to improve dissolution and penetration into ocular tissues, meaning less loteprednol etabonate is required to exert therapeutic effect. In two multicentre, randomized phase III trials, significantly more loteprednol etabonate gel 0.38% than vehicle recipients displayed complete resolution of ocular inflammation and ocular pain at day 8 post cataract surgery. Complete resolution of pain was seen as early as post-operative day 3. Treatment-related ocular adverse events in the loteprednol etabonate gel 0.38% group occurred in < 1% of subjects and included one incidence each of photophobia, cystoid macular oedema, eyelid oedema and instillation site pain. Treatment with loteprednol etabonate gel 0.38% had no meaningful impact on intraocular pressure (IOP) or visual acuity. Thus, loteprednol etabonate gel 0.38% extends the treatment options available in resolving post-operative inflammation and pain in patients who have undergone ocular surgery. </p><br></div><div>© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020<br></div>