Presbyopia (which literally means "ageing eye") is an age-related eye condition that makes it more difficult to see very close. Presbyopia usually occurs beginning at around age 40, when people experience blurred near vision when reading, sewing or working at the computer.

You can't escape presbyopia, even if you've never had a vision problem before. Even people who are nearsighted will notice that their near vision blurs when they wear their usual eyeglasses or contact lenses to correct distance vision.

There is no best method for correcting presbyopia. Bifocal, Progressive or Near Glasses remain the most popular option to correct this ageing condition. Multifocal Contact Lenses may work in a few patients. There are few surgical approaches like Monovision Lasik, PresbyLasik and Presbyopic Lens Exchanges however these are yet not well established and work very selectively in a small group of suitable patients. Worse still, certain procedures like Monovision Lasik and PresbyLASIK may have very short term results and may require enhancement procedures after a few years. 

It is conservatively estimated that the management is a multi billion dollar industry and the next challenging frontier in Ophthalmic medicine.

EV06, a topical ophthalmic solution for the treatment of presbyopia, has completed enrolment in a phase 1/2 clinical study, developer Encore Vision (Fort Worth, Texas) has announced in a press release.EV06 (lipoic acid choline ester, 1.5%) is a first-in-class new chemical entity that targets a biochemical cause of presbyopia believed to be associated with an increase in the formation of disulfide bonds between the crystalline proteins within lens fiber cells. EV06 is intended to increase lens flexibility by breaking these bonds, thereby restoring elasticity, allowing the lens to focus on nearby objects. EV06 is a prodrug that penetrates the cornea and is subsequently broken down into lipoic acid and choline.

The phase 1/2 prospective, randomized, double-masked, multicenter study is examining the safety and efficacy of EV06 compared to placebo over 90 days for the treatment of presbyopia. Four sites across the United States enrolled a total of 75 subjects between the ages of 45 and 55 with distance corrected near visual acuity (DCNVA) worse than 20/40 and best corrected distance visual acuity (BCDVA) of 20/20 or better in each eye. The study has enrolled myopic, hyperopic, and emmetropic presbyopes. The primary outcome is mean change in DCNVA and BCDVA. To date, no safety or tolerability issues have been reported.

Results from the study are expected soon. We live in exciting times.