Optimmune ophthtalmic ointment 3.5g (cyclosporine)

Optimmune is an eye ointment containing cyclosporin and is used to treat recurrent conjunctivitis resulting from autoimmune disease of the eye in dogs. These include Dry Eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca or KCS) and Pannus (chronic superficial keratits). Ointment should be used twice daily and is usually required life-long. Cases of Dry Eye will usually respond with increased tear production after about 10 days, but it can take 6 weeks for the full effect to be achieved. Pannus might not need treatment all year round because it is partly triggered by UV light. Antibiotic or steroid drops are sometimes used with Optimmune. It is important to try and maintain treatment without a pause, to prevent progression of the underlying diseases.

For KCS, improvement in the Schirmer Tear Test is associated with a good prognosis if therapy is maintained. Most of the dogs affected with KCS or CSK will most likely require life long consistent therapy. For CSK, because environmental factors such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation are implicated in the pathogenesis, clinical signs may subside in the winter months when light intensity is reduced or if the dog is moved to a lower altitude, or indoors, and thus exposed to less UV radiation. In cases refractory to cyclosporin, the diagnosis should be reevaluated and a different course of therapy considered. Periodic reassessment of the need of OPTIMMUNE Ophthalmic Ointment therapy is recommended. In order to properly assess response to treatment, it is recommended to test for tear production approximately 3 hours after a dose of OPTIMMUNE Ophthalmic Ointment, which corresponds to the time of peak cyclosporin concentration within the cornea.