Large Study of Lacrisert(R) Dry E...( Patients Experience Significant Impro...),Health

Patients Experience Significant Improvement in Ocular Surface Disease and Quality of Life

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J., May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Aton Pharma, Inc. announced today that results from a large (n = 520) multi-center patient registry study of its Lacrisert(R) ophthalmic insert will be presented this week during the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), May 3-7, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, and later in the month at the 145th Annual Meeting of the American Ophthalmological Society (AOS), May 14 -17, Half Moon Bay, CA. Lacrisert (hydroxypropyl cellulose ophthalmic insert) is a preservative-free, once-daily*, sustained release prescription insert indicated for moderate to severe dry eye, that helps to retain moisture, stabilize the tear film, and lubricate the eye.

"This is the first major study of Lacrisert to be undertaken in more than two decades," stated Michael G. Wells, Chief Executive Officer of Aton Pharma. "Our commitment to expanding product availability and increasing physician awareness and knowledge of Lacrisert includes gathering of key efficacy data such as through this study."

The multicenter, 2-visit, open label, 4-week study was conducted to determine both physician and patient acceptability and ease of use of Lacrisert in adult patients with a history of dry eye syndrome. It was hypothesized that patients would experience improvements in their overall quality of life as well as in measures of dry eye signs and symptoms. A patient registry study is designed to examine a wide range of correlations and show predictive relationships, providing a rich resource of data to mine over time.

Bruce H. Koffler, M.D., will present data from the study in a poster at the 2009 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), "Lacrisert(R) (hydroxypropyl cellulose ophthalmic insert) Significantly Improves Symptoms of D
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