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GENEVA—Alcon (SIX/NYSE: ALC), a global leader in eyecare, announced that Pataday Once Daily Relief Extra Strength (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.7%), formerly prescribed as Pazeo, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for sale over-the-counter (OTC). Pataday Once Daily Relief Extra Strength is the first and only once daily eye allergy itch drop offering a full 24 hours of relief without a prescription, according to Alcon’s announcement. Pataday Once Daily Relief Extra Strength will be available online beginning in September, ahead of national retail availability in early 2021, according to Alcon.

In the meantime, patients should speak with their doctor or pharmacy regarding existing prescription refills.

Allergies are the sixth-leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S., generating approximately $2.7 billion in OTC retail sales, the company noted. For more information on the new treatment, visit the site Pataday24hour.com.  

“Alcon is thrilled to bring another needed innovation to the millions of people in the U.S. who suffer from itchy allergy eyes,” Sergio Duplan, region president of North America, said in the statement. “With Pataday Once Daily Relief Extra Strength, eye allergy sufferers will get over-the-counter eye allergy itch relief that lasts a full 24 hours. We’re excited to bring more customer options to the Pataday product portfolio, which is already the number one eye allergy brand in the U.S. OTC market.”

This formulation joins Pataday Once Daily Relief (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.2%) and Pataday Twice Daily Relief (olopatadine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution 0.1%), which were approved for sale over-the-counter in February 2020, as VMAIL reported.

Since 2008, over 40 million prescriptions have been written for olopatadine.

Alcon secured the rights to switch prescription products using the active ingredient olopatadine to OTC as part of its separation from Novartis in April 2019. Both Pataday Twice Daily Relief and Pataday Once Daily Relief are available now in all major food, drug and mass retailers nationally.

“The active ingredient in Pataday has been my ‘go-to’ for years,” said Michael S. Cooper, OD, Solinsky EyeCare of West Hartford, Conn. “I’m thrilled that an extra strength option will be available over-the-counter to give even more patients access to a full 24 hours of relief for itchy allergy eyes.”