2.1       Recommended Dosage

Apply one drop of ACUVAIL to the affected eye twice daily beginning 1 day prior to cataract surgery, continued on the day of surgery, and through the first 2 weeks of the postoperative period.

2.2       Use With Other Topical Ophthalmic Medications

ACUVAIL may be administered in conjunction with other topical ophthalmic medications such as alpha-agonists, beta-blockers, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, cycloplegics, and mydriatics. Drops should be administered at least 5 minutes apart.

5.1       Delayed Healing

Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may slow or delay healing. Topical corticosteroids are also known to slow or delay healing. Concomitant use of topical NSAIDs and topical steroids may increase the potential for healing problems.

5.2       Cross-Sensitivity or Hypersensitivity

There is the potential for cross-sensitivity to acetylsalicylic acid, phenylacetic acid derivatives, and other NSAIDs. There have been reports of bronchospasm or exacerbation of asthma associated with the use of ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution in patients who either have a known hypersensitivity to aspirin/non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or a past medical history of asthma. Therefore, caution should be used when treating individuals who have previously exhibited sensitivities to these drugs.

5.3        Increased Bleeding Time

With some NSAIDs, there exists the potential for increased bleeding time due to interference with thrombocyte aggregation. There have been reports that ocularly applied nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may cause increased bleeding of ocular tissues (including hyphemas) in conjunction with ocular surgery. 

It is recommended that ACUVAIL be used with caution in patients with known bleeding tendencies or who are receiving other medications, which may prolong bleeding time. 

5.4       Corneal Effects

Use of topical NSAIDs may result in keratitis. In some susceptible patients, continued use of topical NSAIDs may result in epithelial breakdown, corneal thinning, corneal erosion, corneal ulceration, or corneal perforation. These events may be sight threatening. Patients with evidence of corneal epithelial breakdown should immediately discontinue use of topical NSAIDs and should be closely monitored for corneal health.

Postmarketing experience with topical NSAIDs suggests that patients with complicated ocular surgeries, corneal denervation, corneal epithelial defects, diabetes mellitus, ocular surface diseases (e.g., dry eye syndrome), rheumatoid arthritis, or repeat ocular surgeries within a short period of time may be at increased risk for corneal adverse events which may become sight threatening. Topical NSAIDs should be used with caution in these patients.

Postmarketing experience with topical NSAIDs also suggests that use more than 1 day prior to surgery or use beyond 14 days post-surgery may increase patient risk for the occurrence and severity of corneal adverse events.

5.5       Risk of Contamination

Avoid allowing the tip of the single-dose vial to contact the eye or surrounding structures because this could cause the tip to become contaminated by common bacteria known to cause ocular infections or cause injury to the eye. Serious damage to the eye and subsequent loss of vision may result from using contaminated solutions.

5.6       Contact Lens Wear

ACUVAIL should not be administered while wearing contact lenses.

6.1       Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to the rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

The most common adverse reactions were reported in 1% to 6% of patients and included increased intraocular pressure, conjunctival hyperemia and/or hemorrhage, corneal edema, ocular pain, headache, tearing and vision blurred. Some of these reactions may be the consequence of the cataract surgical procedure.

Other adverse reactions occurring during treatment with ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solutions included allergic reactions (including eye swelling, hyperemia, and pruritis).

6.2       Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solutions in clinical practice. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to the drug.

Eye Disorders: Corneal erosion, corneal perforation, corneal thinning and corneal melt, epithelial breakdown [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2, 5.4)], and ulcerative keratitis.

Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders: Bronchospasm, exacerbation of asthma.

8.1       Pregnancy

Risk Summary

There are no adequate and well-controlled studies with ACUVAIL in pregnant women. No evidence of teratogenicity has been observed in rats or rabbits with ACUVAIL at clinically relevant doses.

8.2       Lactation

Risk Summary

It is not known whether ketorolac when given topically is present in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when ACUVAIL is administered to a nursing woman.

8.4       Pediatric Use

The safety and effectiveness of ACUVAIL have not been established in pediatric patients younger than 2 years old.

8.5       Geriatric Use

No overall differences in safety or effectiveness have been observed between elderly and other adult patients.

12.1       Mechanism of Action

Ketorolac tromethamine is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which, when administered systemically, has demonstrated analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-pyretic activity. The mechanism of its action is thought to be due to its ability to inhibit prostaglandin biosynthesis.

12.3       Pharmacokinetics

Two drops of 0.5% ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution instilled into the eyes of patients 12 hours and 1 hour prior to cataract extraction achieved a mean ketorolac concentration of 95 ng/mL in the aqueous humor of 8 of 9 eyes tested (range 40 to 170 ng/mL).

One drop of 0.5% ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution was instilled into 1 eye and 1 drop of vehicle into the other eye three times daily in 26 healthy subjects. Five (5) of 26 subjects had detectable concentrations of ketorolac in their plasma (range 11 to 23 ng/mL) at Day 10 during topical ocular treatment. The range of concentrations following three times daily dosing of 0.5% ketorolac tromethamine ophthalmic solution are approximately 4 to 8% of the steady state mean minimum plasma concentration observed following four times daily oral administration of 10 mg ketorolac in humans (290 ± 70 ng/mL).