ENTOD Pharmaceuticals is under scrutiny for allegedly making false claims about its product, PresVu eye drops, being approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and offering an effective treatment for presbyopia. According to top official sources, the company’s statements have been called “unethical and a false presentation of facts.”
“This is unethical and false presentation of facts,” said an official source, adding that the drug regulator has asked the company for an explanation regarding its misleading claims.
ENTOD Pharmaceuticals had previously marketed PresVu as India’s first eye drop designed to reduce dependency on reading glasses for individuals with presbyopia, a common age-related vision condition that typically affects those over 40. The company claimed the eye drop’s proprietary formula also offered the added benefit of lubricating the eyes.
“PresVu is the result of years of dedicated research and development. This DCGI approval is a major step forward in our mission to transform eye care in India,” ENTOD Pharmaceuticals CEO Nikkhil K Masurkar said in a statement.
However, medical experts have raised concerns, labeling the eye drops as an “imperfect and temporary solution” for presbyopia. Dr. Charu Kashyap, Senior Consultant at Max Hospital Saket, explained, “Pilocarpine eye drops, which have been used to treat glaucoma for 75 years, constrict the pupil, creating a pinhole effect to aid reading. While helpful, it’s a temporary solution compared to reading glasses, which are a more permanent fix.”
Dr. Samir Sud, Co-founder and Director of Sharp Sight Eye Hospitals, emphasized that while pilocarpine can help with near vision by constricting the pupil, it may come with serious side effects. “We don’t yet know how safe this product will be when it’s used on a large scale,” he added.
Dr. Tushar Grover from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital confirmed that the molecule used in PresVu is not new. “The drops introduced for presbyopia correction are essentially pilocarpine eye drops at a lower concentration. This molecule has been used for decades in glaucoma treatment,” he explained.
ENTOD Pharmaceuticals is now facing calls for further investigation into the safety and efficacy of PresVu, as the controversy continues to unfold.