FDA Approves New Eye Anesthetic

There will be a new eye anesthetic available to ophthalmologists very soon. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a product from the eye care company Akorn Inc. Their topical eye anesthetic Akten has cleared its final hurdles and is ready for use.

The FDA approved its Ophthalmic Gel 3.5 percent, which can be used with LASIK surgery, cataract surgery, and refractive surgery procedures. The anesthetic will be available to eye surgeons for use by the end of October.

Approval of Akten is a very big deal. It is the first time the FDA has approved the use of a new eye anesthetic in over 40 years.

The anesthetic was originally scheduled to release earlier this year. However, the FDA had a few questions about manufacturing and control issues, and delayed their approval until these matters were corrected.

If you are considering eye surgery to correct your vision problems, you can use the links at the bottom of this page to find a qualified ophthalmologist in your area.