ARVO 2024: Novel contact lens solution bolsters comfort in potential lens wear dropouts

At ARVO 2024, Marjorie Rah, OD, PhD, FAAO, presented a poster on an in-home use test of BioTrue Hydration Plus multipurpose contact lens solution (Bausch + Lomb) to measure increased comfort for contact lens wearers. This test was limited to patients who self-reported consideration of discontinuing lens wear in the 6 months following the initial appointment. Only patients who reported dryness as a factor for discontinuation were considered.

Of the 202 participants, 90% of patients reported improved comfort following the switch to the new multipurpose solution, and 86.6% agreed they are more likely to continue contact lens wear following the study. These findings were self-reported in a survey completed by patients.

Video transcript

Emily Kaiser Maharjan:
Hi everyone, I'm here with Dr. Marjorie Rah, who is presenting a poster at ARVO on the in-home use of a novel contact lens solution in contact lens wearers on the verge of dropout. So welcome, Dr. Rah. I'm so glad that you could make it.

Marjorie Rah, OD, PhD, FAAO:
Thank you. Thanks for having me.

Kaiser Maharjan:
Of course. So first, can you tell me a little bit about the topline results of the study?

Rah:
Absolutely. So after our launch of BioTrue Hydration Plus multipurpose solution, we conducted an in-home use test with 202 soft contact lens wearers. They had to be at least 18 to be in the study and know what contact lens solution they were using. And in this particular instance, they had to have said to us upfront that they were considering dropping out of contact lens wear in the next 6 months due to dryness or discomfort. So the reason that's important is because of the inspiration behind our product being largely from the TFOS DEWS II report and the bioinspired ingredients that we have in it that help with dryness.

So we asked these potential dropouts to use BioTrue Hydration Plus for 7 days. And then we gave them a survey about their experience with the product. And it was very positive responses. 90% agreed that their contact lenses felt comfortable and hydrated all day. High percentages also said that it improved their lens wearing experience. Really, one of the key things we found was that 88.6% agreed that they would likely continue to try to wear contact lenses after trying BioTrue Hydration Plus. So you know the results basically show that changing a solution or selecting a solution can positively impact the wearing experience of our patients.

Kaiser Maharjan:
Yeah, that's fascinating. So I'm also curious, did any participants seek treatment for dry eye during the study? Like any additional supplemental therapies?

Rah:
No, not that we're aware of during the study.

Kaiser Maharjan:
Okay. And then I'm also just curious, how was improved comfort measured in the study?

Rah:
We asked them to answer survey questions that were agree/disagree. So we gave them a 7-point scale. So there were, you know, strongly agree, agree, slightly agree, but there was also a neutral response. So if they didn't have an opinion, one way or another, they could pick that. And then there were an equal number of disagree spots. And we asked them about improvements in comfort and summarize those who agreed that there was an improvement.

Kaiser Maharjan:
Fantastic. And were there any surprises along the way within the study?

Rah:
I don't know if it's a surprise, but I think one thing that we do tend to overlook is the importance of a lens care solution. I think we oftentimes go to the lens or lens material first, and don't recognize that a lens care solution is important as well.

Kaiser Maharjan:
And what are some key takeaways that you want to really drive home to optometrists?

Rah:
I think that the main key takeaway is, you know, kind of what I've already said: if you have patients that have dryness and discomfort, don't forget about your contact lens solution. That the care system can make a difference in these frequent replacement lens patients.

Kaiser Maharjan:
Is there anything else that you want to mention that we haven't touched on?

Rah:
Just that this study demonstrates the real world positive impact that BioTrue Hydration Plus multipurpose solution has on the comfort of our contact lens wearing patients.

Kaiser Maharjan:
Great. Well, fantastic. Thank you again, Dr. Rah for taking the time to chat today. I really appreciate it and can't wait to hear more about it and hope your poster goes well.

Rah:
Thank you.

Kaiser Maharjan:
Thanks.