A Prospective, Multi-center, Controlled, Double-blind Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Tolerability of a Steroid/Antibiotic Associated Treatment Following Cataract Extraction by Means of Phaco-emulsification

Cataract is an ophthalmic disease that usually affects the elderly population. Cataract surgery with phaco-emulsification is now the most frequently performed intraocular surgical procedure in the developed world. However, differences in surgical technique impact the severity of surgical trauma and post-operative recovery. The amount of post-operative ocular pain and inflammation plays a significant role in the Patient's perception of the surgical success. Several ophthalmic products have been studied in the management of post-surgery ocular inflammation and pain following cataract surgery. Corticosteroids are considered the gold standard for the treatment of ocular inflammation, and their most commonly used route of administration is the topical instillation as eye drops formulation. After topical administration of Dexamethasone, the concentration in the anterior chamber increases and declines within hours, necessitating frequent daily instillations of eye drops for several weeks. This might be associated with compliance issues, particularly in elderly Patients or in individuals with disabilities. A pharmaceutical formulation allowing for a less frequent administration could therefore be an attractive alternative. NETILDEX™ eye drops solution, containing Netilmicin Sulfate 4.55 mg (3mg/ml) and Dexamethasone Disodium Phosphate 1.32 mg (1mg/ml), is already available for Patients. A new ophthalmic gel, preservative-free formulation has been developed. This new formulation has been tested in pre-clinical animal studies and in a clinical trial. The new formulation contains Xanthan gum, a high molecular mass polysaccharide approved by the FDA in 1969 for food products. It is used in the product as viscosity enhancer and to give to the product pseudo-plastic characteristics and prolonged ocular retention time. The purpose of this trial is to show that the administration of a reduced dose of NETILDEX ™ gel 2 times a day starting on the day of cataract extraction by means of phaco-emulsification and administered until 14 days after surgery is sufficient to obtain a non-inferior efficacy of the NETILDEX ™ eye drops solution administered 4 times a day for the same period.