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Using Historical Data to Support Approval of Drug Products for Ophthalmia Neonatorum: Innovative Approach Toward Evidence-Based Medicine

Sun H, Temeck JW, McCune SK, Chambers WA

JAMA ophthalmology, 2021

392 participants

Abstract

IMPORTANCE: Off-label treatment was common for ophthalmia neonatorum because only erythromycin ointment had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this indication. Ophthalmia neonatorum was previously considered a different indication from bacterial conjunctivitis in older children and adults because of uncertain similarities in the cause of disease and the treatment course between the 2 populations. Prospective therapeutic clinical studies were required to demonstrate the effectiveness of treatment for ophthalmia neonatorum.

OBJECTIVE: To review the therapeutic clinical trials for patients with bacterial conjunctivitis to evaluate the similarity in the cause of disease and the treatment response between neonates and older children and adults.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: In this comparative effectiveness research review of pooled data from the most recent 30 bacterial conjunctivitis trials (N = 2018) submitted to the FDA to support the approval of topical ophthalmic solutions for older children and adults, 95% CIs were constructed from clinical cure rates. Cure rates in 3 neonatal randomized clinical trials (N = 392) of patients treated with ophthalmic anti-infective solutions of ciprofloxacin, gatifloxacin, and moxifloxacin were constructed and compared. The baseline ocular swab cultures were analyzed.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Cure rates of neonatal trials were compared with the 95% CIs among older children and adults. The bacterial…

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