Harrow announced the completion of the transfer to Harrow of the New Drug Applications (NDAs) for the following products:
- FLAREX (fluorometholone acetate ophthalmic suspension) 0.1%, a corticosteroid indicated for use in the treatment of steroid-responsive inflammatory conditions of the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva, cornea, and anterior segment of the eye.
- NATACYN (natamycin ophthalmic suspension) 5%, a sterile antifungal for treating fungal blepharitis, conjunctivitis, and keratitis caused by susceptible organisms, including Fusarium solani keratitis.
- TOBRADEX ST (tobramycin and dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension) 0.3%/0.05%, an antibiotic and corticosteroid combination for steroid-responsive inflammatory ocular conditions for which a corticosteroid is indicated and where superficial bacterial ocular infection or a risk of bacterial ocular infection exists.
- VERKAZIA (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) 0.1%, a calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant indicated for the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) in children and adults and holds orphan-drug exclusivity.
- ZERVIATE (cetirizine ophthalmic solution) 0.24%, a histamine-1 (H1) receptor antagonist indicated for treating ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis.
Harrow announced its acquisition of the U.S. commercial rights of these products in July of 2023. To date, Harrow has been receiving profit transfers on these products; however, with the transfer of the NDAs completed, Harrow has launched these products in the U.S. under the Harrow name.
Please see select Important Safety Information for these products and links to the Full Prescribing Information at the end of this release.
In commenting on the announcement, Mark L. Baum, CEO of Harrow, said, “With the completion of the NDA transfer process for the branded ophthalmic portfolio that we recently acquired, our marketing and sales teams are hard at work implementing commercial strategies aimed at increasing brand awareness and sales for these products. These products and others we acquired this year support a growing awareness among U.S. eyecare professionals that Harrow is exclusively focused on and committed to serving U.S. eyecare professionals with a full range of high-quality, accessible, and affordable products they need to care for their patients.”
Product orders for FLAREX, NATACYN, TOBRADEX ST, VERKAZIA, and ZERVIATE can be made directly through Harrow’s dedicated customer service ordering partner, Cardinal’s Cordlogistics, which includes a wholesaler distribution system encompassing McKesson and AmerisourceBergen.
About FLAREX (fluorometholone acetate ophthalmic suspension) 0.1%:
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
FLAREX (fluorometholone acetate ophthalmic suspension) 0.1% is indicated for use in the treatment of steroid responsive inflammatory conditions of the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva, cornea, and anterior segment of the eye.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Contraindicated in acute superficial herpes simplex keratitis, vaccinia, varicella, and most other viral diseases of cornea and conjunctiva; mycobacterial infection of the eye; fungal diseases; acute purulent untreated infections, which like other diseases caused by microorganisms, may be masked or enhanced by the presence of the steroid; and in those persons who have known hypersensitivity to any component of this preparation.
SELECT WARNINGS
FOR TOPICAL OPHTHALMIC USE. NOT FOR INJECTION. Use in the treatment of herpes simplex infection requires great caution. Prolonged use may result in glaucoma, damage to the optic nerve, defect in visual acuity and visual field, cataract formation and/or may aid in the establishment of secondary ocular infections from pathogens due to suppression of host response. Acute purulent infections of the eye may be masked or exacerbated by presence of steroid medication. Topical ophthalmic corticosteroids may slow corneal wound healing. In those diseases causing thinning of the cornea or sclera, perforation has been known to occur. If these products are used for 10 days or longer, intraocular pressure (IOP) should be routinely monitored.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Glaucoma with optic nerve damage, visual acuity and field defects, cataract formation, secondary ocular infection following suppression of host response, and perforation of the globe may occur.
For complete product information about FLAREX, including important safety information, please visit: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=19918ea5-8568-44d6-b8ee-7b2197cee85c.
About NATACYN (natamycin ophthalmic suspension) 5%:
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
NATACYN (natamycin ophthalmic suspension) 5% is indicated for the treatment of fungal blepharitis, conjunctivitis, and keratitis caused by susceptible organisms including Fusarium solani keratitis. As in other forms of suppurative keratitis, initial and sustained therapy of fungal keratitis should be determined by the clinical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis by smear and culture of corneal scrapings and drug response. Whenever possible the in vitro activity of natamycin against the responsible fungus should be determined. The effectiveness of natamycin as a single agent in fungal endophthalmitis has not been established.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
NATACYN (natamycin ophthalmic suspension) 5% is contraindicated in individuals with a history of hypersensitivity to any of its components.
SELECT PRECAUTIONS
General: FOR TOPICAL OPHTHALMIC USE ONLY — NOT FOR INJECTION. Failure of improvement of keratitis following 7-10 days of administration of the drug suggests that the infection may be caused by a microorganism not susceptible to natamycin.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The following events have been identified during post-marketing use of NATACYN ® (natamycin ophthalmic suspension) 5% in clinical practice: allergic reaction, change in vision, chest pain, corneal opacity, dyspnea, eye discomfort, eye edema, eye hyperemia, eye irritation, eye pain, foreign body sensation, paresthesia, and tearing.
For complete product information about NATACYN®, including important safety information, please visit: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=2818fcb8-5bac-41fb-864e-3b598308a428.
About TOBRADEX® ST (tobramycin and dexamethasone ophthalmic suspension) 0.3%/0.05%:
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
TOBRADEX ST ophthalmic suspension is indicated for steroid-responsive inflammatory ocular conditions for which a corticosteroid is indicated and where superficial bacterial ocular infection or a risk of bacterial ocular infection exists.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
Nonbacterial Etiology: TOBRADEX ST, as with other ophthalmic corticosteroids, is contraindicated in most viral diseases of the cornea and conjunctiva, including epithelial herpes simplex keratitis (dendritic keratitis), vaccinia, and varicella, and also in mycobacterial infection of the eye and fungal diseases of ocular structures.
Hypersensitivity: Hypersensitivity to a component of the medication.
SELECT WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Intraocular Pressure Increase: Prolonged use of corticosteroids may result in glaucoma with damage to the optic nerve, defects in visual acuity and fields of vision. If this product is used for 10 days or longer, intraocular pressure (IOP) should be monitored.
Aminoglycoside Sensitivity: Sensitivity to topically applied aminoglycosides may occur.
Cataracts: Use of corticosteroids may result in posterior subcapsular cataract formation.
Delayed Healing: The use of steroids after cataract surgery may delay healing.
Bacterial Infections: Prolonged use of corticosteroids may suppress the host response and thus increase the hazard of secondary ocular infections.
Viral Infections: Use in patients with a history of herpes simplex requires great caution as it may prolong the course and may exacerbate the severity of many viral infections of the eye (including herpes simplex).
Fungal Infections: Fungal infections of the cornea are particularly prone to develop coincidentally with long‑term local steroid application.
Vision Blurred: Vision may be temporarily blurred following dosing with TOBRADEX ST. Care should be exercised in operating machinery or driving a motor vehicle.
Risk of Contamination: Do not touch the dropper tip of the bottle to any surface, as this may contaminate the contents.
Contact Lens Use: TOBRADEX ST contains benzalkonium chloride, an antimicrobial preservative, that may be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Contact lenses should not be worn during the use of TOBRADEX ST.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
Clinical Trials Experience: The most frequent adverse reactions to topical ocular tobramycin (TOBREX) are hypersensitivity and localized ocular toxicity, including eye pain, eyelids pruritus, eyelid edema, and conjunctival hyperemia. These reactions occur in less than 4% of patients.
For complete product information about TOBRADEX ST, including important safety information, please visit: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=c2d7325e-4f58-5590-e053-2a95a90ace1b.
About VERKAZIA (cyclosporine ophthalmic emulsion) 0.1%:
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
VERKAZIA ophthalmic emulsion is indicated for the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) in children and adults.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The most common adverse reactions reported in greater than 5% of patients were eye pain (12%) and eye pruritus (8%) which were usually transitory and occurred during instillation.
For complete product information about VERKAZIA, including important safety information, please visit: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=c795cd2f-89da-78e3-e053-2a95a90a9422.
About ZERVIATE (cetirizine ophthalmic solution) 0.24%
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
ZERVIATE (cetirizine ophthalmic solution) 0.24% is indicated for the treatment of ocular itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis.
SELECT WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
Contamination of Tip and Solution: As with any eye drop, care should be taken not to touch the eyelids or surrounding areas with the dropper tip of the bottle or tip of the single-use container in order to avoid injury to the eye and to prevent contaminating the tip and solution. Keep the multi-dose bottle closed when not in use. Discard the single-use container after using in each eye.
Contact Lens Wear: Patients should be advised not to wear a contact lens if their eye is red.
ZERVIATE should not be instilled while wearing contact lenses.
ADVERSE REACTIONS
The most commonly reported adverse reactions occurred in approximately 1–7% of patients treated with either ZERVIATE or vehicle. These reactions were ocular hyperemia, instillation site pain, and visual acuity reduced.
For complete product information about ZERVIATE, including important safety information, please visit: https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=3e6fecc1-df71-4c01-a654-f55635617a7f.