FDA Approves VIZZ Eye Drops as Breakthrough Presbyopia Treatment

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval for VIZZ eye drops, developed by LENZ Therapeutics, Inc., as a new treatment option for presbyopia—a common age-related condition causing difficulty focusing on near objects, affecting nearly 130 million adults in the United States. The active component, aceclidine at a concentration of 1.44%, works by constricting the iris sphincter muscle, creating a pinhole effect that enhances depth of focus and improves near vision without inducing a myopic shift. Eef Schimmelpennink, CEO of LENZ Therapeutics, expressed that this approval marks a significant advancement in managing presbyopia, offering relief to millions experiencing blurry near vision. The decision was based on data from three phase 3 clinical trials involving a total of 683 participants. These studies demonstrated that a single daily application of VIZZ provides noticeable improvements in near vision within half an hour, with effects lasting up to ten hours. The trials also confirmed the safety profile of the drops, with no serious adverse events reported. Participants commonly experienced mild side effects such as irritation at the application site (20%), temporar...