Difluprednate: changing the landscape of ocular pharmacology

Ophthalmic surgery has evolved substantially during the last 40 years to include minimally invasive procedures and premium intraocular lens implantation. Patients and physicians who invest in such advanced technology, materials and procedures expect equally advanced postoperative treatments. Ophthalmic pharmacology, however, has seen only modest gains during this same period. Difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion, a novel difluorinated prednisolone derivative, is the first strong ophthalmic steroid to be developed in the past 35 years and the first to be shown to reduce postoperative pain effectively, an attribute that may foster better compliance, result in fewer office visits and increase patient satisfaction. Other benefits include high potency, strong penetrability and a favorable safety profile; this suggests a wide spectrum of possible applications within ocular treatment.