Contact lenses releasing ws12

Abstract

A WS12-releasing contact lens and a method of making the same are described. The WS12-releasing contact lens comprises a polymeric lens body and WS12 releasably attached to the polymeric lens body. The amount of WS12 releasably attached to the polymeric lens body provides a basal tear fluid concentration of 2 μg / ml to 8 μg / ml of WS12 in a lens wearer after 30 minutes of lens wear. The WS12-releasing contact lens can be used to increase contact lens comfort, reduce eye strain, reduce the perception of dryness of the eye, and impart a pleasant, cool sensation in the lens wearer without causing stinging or burning upon insertion.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The field of the invention relates to contact lenses, and in particular to contact lenses that provide a pleasant cooling sensation while worn. BACKGROUND

[0002] N-(4-methoxyphenyl)-5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)cyclohexanecarboxamide (Accession No. 68489-09-8) (referred to as WS12) is a synthetic methanol derivative. Therapeutic compositions comprising TRPM8 receptor agonists in amounts effective to increase tearing have been proposed for treating dry eye syndrome (Belmonte et al., U.S. Patent No. 10,028,920).

[0003] WS12 can be incorporated into silicone hydrogel contact lenses and is resistant to autoclave sterilization without degrading or leaching into the packaging solution (U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 729,008). These lenses increase tearing, reduce the sensation of lens drying, and improve comfortable lens wear time in symptomatic contact lens wearers. However, for some lens wearers, there is a stinging / burning sensation when the contact lenses are initially inserted into the eye. This stinging / burning sensation can cause the wearer to completely discontinue use of the contact lenses, even though the stinging / burning sensation is temporary.

[0004] It would be desirable to provide a contact lens that can impart a pleasant, cooling sensation to all contact lens wearers without causing stinging or burning upon insertion. SUMMARY

[0005] It is a feature of the invention to provide a contact lens that can release WS12 during lens wear without causing insertion stinging or burning.

[0006] It is another feature of the invention to provide a contact lens that provides a refreshing or cooling sensation while the lens is worn.

[0007] It is another feature of the invention to provide a contact lens that reduces eye fatigue.

[0008] It is a further feature of the invention to provide a WS12-releasing contact lens that most contact lens wearers find more comfortable to wear than lenses made of the same material but lacking WS12, whether or not they experience the discomfort or dryness symptoms of their habitual contact lenses.

[0009] Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or can be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

[0010] To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, this invention relates in part to a hydrogel contact lens containing a releasably attachable amount of WS12 to the eyepiece, which enhances the comfort or desirableness of the contact lens without increasing tearing in the wearer. In one example, the hydrogel contact lens is a polysiloxane hydrogel contact lens.

[0011] In one instance, the polysiloxane hydrogel contact lens provides a baseline tear concentration of 1.0 ng / ml to 10 ng / ml WS12, or 3 ng / ml to 6 ng / ml WS12, after approximately 30 minutes of wear. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 A bar graph showing the preference of contact lens wearers for WS12-releasing contact lenses or control lenses after 7 days of lens wear. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Clinical studies were conducted to determine whether contact lenses releasing lower amounts of WS12 than previously assessed (as described in U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 729,008) would show any improvement in comfort ratings without causing any stinging or burning sensation upon initial lens insertion. Surprisingly, the majority of study participants overwhelmingly preferred lenses releasing a low dose of WS12 to control lenses, even when the amount of WS12 used was found to be insufficient to provide an observable increase in tear volume. It is hypothesized that contact lenses releasing relatively low amounts of WS12 could achieve WS12 tear concentrations insufficient to trigger the high-threshold TRPM8 receptors involved in tearing, yet still provide increased comfort or anticipation due to a cooling sensation. Furthermore, the amount of WS12 was insufficient to cause the initial stinging or burning sensation observed with relatively high-dose lenses. Therefore, this document describes hydrogel contact lenses that release a low dose of WS12 during wear and methods of manufacturing thereof. Such contact lenses may be referred to herein as WS12-releasing contact lenses. WS12 is released from the contact lens during wear in an amount that improves the comfort of the contact lens relative to the control lens without providing an observable increase in tear volume and / or increased embedding stinging relative to the control lens for the wearer. When “control lens” is mentioned herein, it refers to a contact lens that does not contain WS12 but is otherwise identical to the WS12-releasing lens being compared to.

[0014] The WS12-releasing contact lens comprises a polymer lens body and a certain amount of WS12 releasably attached to the polymer lens body. The amount of WS12 "releasably attached" to the polymer lens body refers to the total amount of WS12 that can be extracted from the contact lens by the ethanol (EtOH) extraction method described in Example 1 below. In one example, the amount of WS12 releasably attached to the polymer lens body may be at least about 0.1 μg, 0.2 μg, or 0.3 μg, or 0.4 μg up to about 0.5 μg, or 0.6 μg, or 0.7 μg, for example, from about 0.3 μg to about 0.6 μg.

[0015] In one example, the contact lens releases an amount of WS12 sufficient to provide an average basal tear concentration of 1 ng / ml to 10 ng / ml WS12, or 2 ng / ml to 8 ng / ml WS12, or 3 ng / ml to 6 ng / ml WS12 in contact lens wearers (n=5) 30 minutes after lens wear. The WS12 concentration in the basal tear fluid of contact lens wearers can be determined using routine microcapillary tear collection methods and HPLC.

[0016] In one instance, the release WS12 contact lens did not increase tearing in the wearer compared to the control lens. Increased tearing is confirmed if the anterior tear river height (TMH) while wearing the release WS12 lens is the same as or lower than the TMH while wearing the control lens for the same period (e.g., after 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, or more). Tear river height can be measured using the OCULUS Keratograph (K5M) or other equivalent methods.

[0017] As an example, the contact lens is a reaction product of a polymerizable composition of a non-polysiloxane hydrogel. Non-polysiloxane hydrogel contact lenses are typically formed by polymerization of one or more hydrophilic monomers (e.g., 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) or vinyl alcohol) optionally in combination with other monomers, and do not contain siloxane molecules.

[0018] As an example, the contact lens comprises a polymeric lens body, which is a reaction product of a polymerizable composition comprising at least one siloxane monomer and at least one hydrophilic monomer and / or at least one hydrophilic polymer. Briefly, as described in more detail below, the cured polymeric lens body for polysiloxane hydrogels can be extracted in an extraction solvent containing WS12, resulting in the desired amount of WS12 adhering to the polymeric lens body. Alternatively, WS12 can be added to the polymerizable composition. WS12 can adhere to the polymeric lens body via hydrophobic interactions and / or be physically embedded through the polymeric network of the polymeric lens body.

[0019] As used herein, the term "siloxane monomer" refers to any molecule containing at least one Si-O group and at least one polymerizable functional group. Siloxane monomers used in contact lens compositions are well known in the art (see, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 8,658,747 and 6,867,245). (All patents and publications mentioned herein and throughout are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.) In some instances, the polymerizable composition comprises a total amount of at least 10, 20, or 30% to about 40, 50, 60, or 70% of a siloxane monomer. Unless otherwise specified, as used herein, a given weight percentage (wt%) of a component of the polymerizable composition is relative to the total amount of all polymerizable components and IPN polymers (described further below) in the polymerizable composition. The weight of the polymerizable composition contributed by components not incorporated into the final contact lens product (e.g., diluents) is not included in the wt% calculation.

[0020] In one particular example, the polymerizable composition comprises a hydrophilic vinyl monomer. As used herein, a “hydrophilic vinyl monomer” is any non-siloxane (i.e., Si-O-free) hydrophilic monomer in which a polymerizable carbon-carbon double bond (i.e., vinyl) not part of an acrylate group exists in its molecular structure, wherein the carbon-carbon double bond of the vinyl group is less reactive in free radical polymerization than the carbon-carbon double bond present in a polymerizable methacrylate group. As used herein, the term “acrylate group” refers to a polymerizable group present in acrylates, methacrylates, acrylamides, etc. Therefore, although a carbon-carbon double bond exists in acrylate groups and methacrylate groups as used herein, such a polymerizable group is not considered a vinyl group. Furthermore, as used herein, a monomer is considered “hydrophilic” if, by standard shaking flask method, at least 50 grams of the monomer are completely soluble in 1 liter of water at 20°C (i.e., approximately 5% soluble in water). In various instances, the hydrophilic vinyl monomer is N-vinyl-N-methylacetamide (VMA), or N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP), or 1,4-butanediol vinyl ether (BVE), or ethylene glycol vinyl ether (EGVE), or diethylene glycol vinyl ether (DEGVE), or any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the polymerizable composition comprises at least 10 wt%, 15 wt%, 20 wt%, or 25 wt% up to about 45 wt%, 60 wt%, or 75 wt% of a hydrophilic vinyl monomer. As used herein, a given weight percentage of a particular class of components (e.g., hydrophilic vinyl monomers, siloxane monomers, etc.) in the polymerizable composition is equal to the sum of the weight percentages of the components in the composition that fall within that class. Thus, for example, a polymerizable composition comprising 5 wt% BVE and 25 wt% NVP and no other hydrophilic vinyl monomers is said to comprise 30 wt% hydrophilic vinyl monomers. In one instance, the hydrophilic vinyl monomer is a vinylamide monomer. Exemplary hydrophilic vinylamide monomers are VMA and NVP. In one particular example, the polymerizable composition comprises at least 25% by weight of a vinylamide monomer. In another particular example, the polymerizable composition comprises from about 25% by weight to about 75% by weight of VMA or NVP, or combinations thereof. Other hydrophilic monomers that may be included in the polymerizable composition are N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), ethoxyethyl methacrylamide (EOEMA), ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (EGMA), and combinations thereof.

[0021] In addition to or as a substitute for hydrophilic monomers, the polymerizable composition may comprise a non-polymerizable hydrophilic polymer that produces a polymeric eyeglass body comprising an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN), wherein the non-polymerizable hydrophilic polymer interpenetrates a polysiloxane hydrogel polymer matrix. In this example, the non-polymerizable hydrophilic polymer is referred to as an IPN polymer, which is used as an internal wetting agent in contact lenses. Conversely, polymer chains within a polysiloxane hydrogel network formed by the polymerization of monomers present in the polymerizable composition are not considered IPN polymers. The IPN polymer may be a high molecular weight hydrophilic polymer, for example, from about 50,000 to about 500,000 Daltons. In a particular example, the IPN polymer is polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). In other examples, the polymerizable composition is substantially free of polyvinylpyrrolidone or other IPN polymers.

[0022] As an option, one or more non-silicon-containing hydrophobic monomers may be present as part of the polymerizable composition. A hydrophobic monomer is understood to be any monomer that, when determined using the standard shaking flask method, is invisibly and completely soluble in 1 liter of water at 20°C with 50 grams of that monomer. Examples of suitable hydrophobic monomers include methyl acrylate, or ethyl acrylate, or propyl acrylate, or isopropyl acrylate, or cyclohexyl acrylate, or 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, or methyl methacrylate (MMA), or ethyl methacrylate, or propyl methacrylate, or butyl acrylate, or 2-hydroxybutyl methacrylate, or vinyl acetate, or vinyl propionate, or vinyl butyrate, or vinyl valerate, styrene, or chloroprene, or vinyl chloride, or vinylidene chloride, or acrylonitrile, or 1-butene, or butadiene, or methacrylonitrile, or vinyltoluene, or vinyl ethyl ether, or perfluorohexyl ethyl thiocarbonyl amino ethyl methacrylate, or isoborneol methacrylate (IBM), or trifluoroethyl methacrylate, or hexafluoroisopropyl methacrylate, or tetrafluoropropyl methacrylate, or hexafluorobutyl methacrylate, or any combination thereof.

[0023] The hydrophobic monomer (if used) may be present in the reaction product of the polymerizable composition in an amount from 1 wt% to about 30 wt% based on the total weight of the polymerizable composition, for example, from 1 wt% to 25 wt%, from 1 wt% to 20 wt%, from 1 wt% to 15 wt%, from 2 wt% to 20 wt%, from 3 wt% to 20 wt%, from 5 wt% to 20 wt%, from 5 wt% to 15 wt%, and from 1 wt% to 10 wt%.

[0024] The polymerizable composition may additionally contain at least one crosslinking agent. As used herein, a "crosslinking agent" is a molecule having at least two polymerizable groups. Thus, the crosslinking agent can react with functional groups on two or more polymer chains to bridge one polymer to another. The crosslinking agent may contain acrylate or vinyl groups, or both acrylate and vinyl groups. In some instances, the crosslinking agent does not contain a siloxane portion, i.e., it is a non-siloxane crosslinking agent. Various crosslinking agents suitable for polymerizable polysiloxane hydrogel compositions are known in the art (see, for example, U.S. Patent No. 8,231,218, which is incorporated herein by reference). Examples of suitable crosslinking agents include (but are not limited to) lower alkyl glycol di(meth)acrylates, such as triethylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, poly(lower alkyl) glycol di(meth)acrylate and lower alkyl di(meth)acrylate; divinyl ethers, such as triethylene glycol divinyl ether, diethylene glycol divinyl ether, 1,4-butanediol divinyl ether and 1,4-cyclohexanediethanol divinyl ether; divinyl sulfone; di- and trivinylbenzene; trimethylolpropane tri(meth)acrylate; pentaerythritol tetra(meth)acrylate; bisphenol A di(meth)acrylate; methylene bis(meth)acrylamide; triallyl phthalate; 1,3-bis(3-methacryloyloxypropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane; diallyl phthalate; and combinations thereof.

[0025] As those skilled in the art will understand, polymerizable compositions may contain additional polymerizable or non-polymerizable components conventionally used in contact lens formulations, such as one or more of polymerization initiators, UV absorbers, tinting agents, oxygen scavengers, chain transfer agents, etc. In some instances, the polymerizable composition may contain an amount of organic diluent to prevent or minimize phase separation between the hydrophilic and hydrophobic components of the polymerizable composition in order to obtain optically clear lenses. Diluents commonly used in contact lens formulations include hexanol, ethanol, and / or other primary, secondary, or tertiary alcohols. In other instances, the polymerizable composition contains no or substantially no organic diluent (e.g., less than 500 ppm). In such instances, the use of siloxane monomers containing a hydrophilic moiety (e.g., a polyoxyethylene group, side hydroxyl groups, or other hydrophilic groups) eliminates the need for a diluent in the polymerizable composition. Non-limiting examples of these and additional components that may be included in the polymerizable composition are provided in U.S. Patent No. 8,231,218.

[0026] Non-limiting examples of usable polysiloxane hydrogels include comfilcon A, fanfilcon A, stenfilcon A, senofilcon A, senofilcon C, somofilcon A, narafilcon A, delefilcon A, narafilcon A, lotrafilcon A, lotrafilcon B, balafilcon A, samfilcon A, galyfilcon A, and asmofilcon A.

[0027] A specific example of the hydrogel contact lens of the present invention is a contact lens based on a polymerizable composition comprising 25% to 55% by weight of a siloxane monomer, 30% to 55% by weight of a vinyl monomer selected from NVP, VMA, or combinations thereof, and optionally about 1% to about 20% by weight of a hydrophilic monomer selected from N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), ethoxyethyl methacrylamide (EOEMA), or ethylene glycol methyl ether methacrylate (EGMA), or any combination thereof, and optionally about 1% to about 20% by weight of a hydrophobic monomer selected from methyl methacrylate (MMA), isoborneol methacrylate (IBM), or 2-hydroxybutyl methacrylate (HOB), or any combination thereof. Polysiloxane hydrogel materials made from this specific embodiment of the polymerizable composition include Stefanova A, Canfilcon A, Shamofac A, Vanfilcon A, and Enfilcon A. In another example, the polymerizable composition described above comprises a siloxane monomer of Stefano A, specifically a first siloxane monomer having a structure represented by formula (I).

[0028]

[0029] and a second siloxane monomer having a structure represented by formula (II),

[0030]

[0031] Conventional methods can be used to manufacture the contact lenses of the present invention. As an example, a polymerizable composition for a hydrogel composition is dispensed into a master mold member having a concave surface defining the anterior surface of a contact lens. A male mold member having a convex surface defining the back surface (i.e., the corneal contact surface) of the contact lens is combined with the master mold member to form a contact lens mold assembly, which is then subjected to curing conditions (e.g., UV or thermal curing conditions) under which the curable composition is formed into a polymeric eyepiece body. The master and male mold members can be non-polar or polar molds. The mold assembly is disassembled (i.e., demolded), and the polymeric eyepiece body is removed from the mold, and unreacted components are extracted from the eyepiece body using an organic solvent.

[0032] Simply put, WS12 can be loaded into the polymer eyeglasses during the extraction step. Generally, after curing, the polymer eyeglass body swells in the extraction solvent containing WS12. When the extracted polymer eyeglass body is subsequently placed in an hydration solution (e.g., deionized water), the extraction solvent is removed, and WS12 remains attached to the polymer eyeglass body.

[0033] As an example, the extraction and hydration process may involve at least one extraction step in denatured ethanol (EtOH), followed by an extraction step comprising a mixture of EtOH and water (e.g., about 10% to 95% EtOH contained in water, or about 30% to 80% EtOH contained in water), followed by at least one hydration step in deionized water, wherein each extraction and hydration step may be sustained at a temperature of about 20°C to about 30°C for about 15 minutes to about 3 hours. Any extraction solvent may be used as the loading solution for WS12. In one example, the concentration of WS12 in the extraction solvent is about 1.0 μg / ml to about 4.0 μg / ml (i.e., 1 ppm to about 4 ppm). In one example, the initial extraction solvent is EtOH and the second extraction solvent comprises a mixture of 30% to 80% EtOH contained in water and 1 ppm to 4 ppm WS12.

[0034] As part of this invention, the contact lenses may be sealed in contact lens packaging. The packaging solution sealed in the contact lens packaging may be any conventional contact lens compatible solution. In one example, the packaging solution comprises, consists of, or is substantially composed of an aqueous solution of a buffer and / or tension agent. In another example, the packaging solution contains additional agents, such as one or more additional antimicrobial agents, and / or comfort agents, and / or hydrophilic polymers, and / or surfactants and / or other beneficial agents. In some examples, the packaging solution may contain polysaccharides (e.g., hyaluronic acid, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, etc.) or other high molecular weight polymers, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone, which is commonly used as a comfort polymer or thickener in ophthalmic solutions and contact lens packaging solutions. In other examples, the packaging solution may contain ophthalmic medications. The packaging solution may have a pH in the range of about 6.8 or 7.0 to about 7.8 or 8.0. In one example, the packaging solution contains a phosphate buffer or a borate buffer. In another example, the packaging solution contains a tensioning agent selected from sodium chloride or sorbitol, in an amount that maintains the osmotic pressure in the range of about 200 to 400 mOsm / kg, and typically from about 270 mOsm / kg to about 310 mOsm / kg.

[0035] Regarding contact lens packaging, such packaging may include or comprise a plastic base component comprising a cavity configured to receive the contact lens and packaging solution, and a flange region extending outwardly around the cavity. A removable foil is attached to the flange region to provide a liquid-tight seal. The removable foil can be sealed by any conventional means, such as heat sealing or gluing. Such contact lens packaging is well known in the art and is commonly referred to as a "blister pack" (see, for example, U.S. Patent No. 7,426,993). The sealed packaging may be sterilized by radiation (including heat or steam), such as autoclaving, or by gamma radiation, electron beam radiation, ultraviolet radiation, etc. In a particular example, the packaged contact lenses are sterilized by autoclaving.

[0036] The final product can be a sterile, packaged contact lens (e.g., a polysiloxane hydrogel contact lens) with ophthalmologically acceptable surface wettability.

[0037] In some instances, WS12, once attached to the polymer eyeglass body, is stable and substantially does not release or degrade from the polymer eyeglass body during autoclaving of the sealed contact lens package containing unworn hydrogel contact lenses in the packaging solution, or during storage of the packaging solution, but does release during eyeglass wear. Therefore, the WS12 concentration in the packaging solution impregnating the contact lenses is less than the detection concentration determined by HPLC before, shortly after, 1 day after, 30 days after, 60 days after, or 120 days after autoclaving.

[0038] In one example, the contact lens is sealed in a blister pack as described above, and the blister pack is further packaged in an indirect package containing multiple blister packs (e.g., at least 7, 14, 30, 60, or 90 blister packs), wherein each blister pack with the indirect package contains a contact lens containing the same amount of WS12 as each other contact lens contained in the indirect package. As an example, each contact lens contained in the indirect package comprises a polymer lens body containing 0.2 μg to 0.7 μg, or 0.3 μg to 0.6 μg of WS12 releasably attached to the lens body, and wherein each of the contact lenses contains the same amount of WS12 (e.g., each contact lens contains 0.4 μg of WS12 releasably attached to the lens body).

[0039] The hydrogel contact lenses that release WS12 described in this article can be used to increase contact lens comfort for contact lens wearers.

[0040] The WS12-releasing hydrogel contact lenses described herein can be used to reduce or prevent eye strain in contact lens wearers. In one instance, this eye strain is associated with the use of digital devices (also known as “digital eyestrain,” “digital fatigue,” or “computer vision syndrome”).

[0041] The hydrogel contact lenses that release WS12 described in this article can be used to reduce the feeling of dry eyes in contact lens wearers.

[0042] The hydrogel contact lenses that release WS12 described in this article can provide a pleasant, cool sensation to contact lens wearers without causing stinging or burning after insertion.

[0043] The following examples illustrate certain aspects and advantages of the invention, but should not be construed as being limited thereto.

[0044] Example 1. Preparation of WS12-releasing contact lenses

[0045] Polysiloxane hydrogel contact lenses were prepared by curing a formulation of Stefanocon A in a contact lens mold. The cured Stefanocon A was removed from the mold and extracted by immersion in ethanol (EtOH) containing the loading concentration of WS12 (Tocris Bioscience) shown in Table 1 for 215 minutes. The lenses were removed from the EtOH and washed in dissolved water (DI) for approximately 6 minutes, followed by two DI water exchanges, each for approximately 30 minutes. The lenses were then transferred to 6 mL glass vials containing 3 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (0.78 wt% NaCl, 0.05 wt% sodium dihydrogen phosphate, and 0.36 wt% disodium hydrogen phosphate) at pH 7.5 (hereinafter referred to as PBS). The vials were sealed and autoclaved.

[0046] Each autoclaved eyeglasses was transferred to a vial containing 3 ml of EtOH and stored overnight at room temperature on a 150 rpm shaker to extract WS12 from the eyeglasses. The EtOH extract and the PBS containing the autoclaved eyeglasses were submitted for analysis by HPLC (detection wavelength = 250 nm) relative to a calibration standard to determine the average amount of WS12 loaded into each (n = 5) and whether WS12 leached from the eyeglasses during autoclaving. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0047] Table 1.

[0048] Eyeglass ID WS12 loading concentration Average WS12 / eyeglass WS12 concentration in PBS packaging solution A 5 μg / mL 0.42 μg Not detected B 15 μg / mL 1.28 μg Not detected C 50 μg / mL 4.30 μg 0.05 μg / mL

[0049] Example 2. A 1-week crossover clinical study of WS12-releasing contact lenses.

[0050] Twenty participants were enrolled in a 1-week, bilateral, randomized, crossover bidirectional occlusion (investigator and participant) study. Participants were considered symptomatic contact lens wearers if they met either of the following two criteria: 1) they reported a total daily contact lens wear time (of their habitual glasses) minus their comfortable daily contact lens wear time of 3 hours or longer; and 2) their use was classified as symptomatic using the classification system outlined in Table 2, which is adapted from the classification proposed by Young et al. (Characterizing contactlens-related dryness symptoms in a cross-section of UK soft lens wearers. Contact Lens & Anterior Eye 34 (2011) 64-70).

[0051] Table 2

[0052]

[0053]

[0054] Ten of the participants were classified as symptomatic contact lens wearers, reporting a contact lens dryness / discomfort intensity rating of 2 or higher (out of 5) and a contact lens dryness / discomfort frequency rating of "sometimes, frequently, or persistent." The remaining 10 participants were classified as asymptomatic contact lens wearers, reporting a contact lens dryness / discomfort intensity rating of 0 or 1 (out of 5) and a contact lens dryness / discomfort frequency rating of "rarely or never."

[0055] The WS12-releasing eyepiece comprises a Stefano A contact lens containing approximately 0.42 μg WS12 per eyepiece. Use The branded contact lenses served as a control. Participants wore the study lenses for at least 8 hours daily and removed them nightly for one week. After a 2-4 day washout period with their habitual lenses, participants were randomly assigned to a second type of lens for one week.

[0056] Results :

[0057] The glasses with the WS12 release exhibit significantly better fit comfort during glasses fitting visits and during a week-long follow-up visit.

[0058] Overall, the glasses with the WS12 release felt cooler when worn than the control glasses, with a statistically significant difference only at one week of follow-up visits.

[0059] At all points in time, the overall pleasure ratings of the glasses that released the WS12 were similar to those of the control glasses.

[0060] The embedded stinging / burning sensation was generally lower and similar between the glasses that released WS12 and the control glasses.

[0061] The anterior tear river height measured by corneal topography was similar between the WS12-releasing glasses and the control glasses, indicating that the WS12-releasing glasses did not increase tear production.

[0062] Participants reported significantly less eye fatigue when removing their glasses on day 5 after using the WS12 release glasses.

[0063] The glasses that released WS12 had significantly lower subjective dryness ratings.

[0064] Seventy percent of the participants (14 / 20) preferred the WS12-release glasses at the end of Day 5 and at the final study visit. Most participants reported a strong preference for the WS12-release glasses. The overall glasses preference rating is shown in... Figure 1 middle.

[0065] This document discloses certain illustrative examples, which should be understood to be presented by way of example rather than limitation. Although exemplary examples are discussed, the foregoing detailed description is intended to be construed as covering all modifications, substitutions, and equivalents of the examples that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by further disclosure.

[0066] In this document, references to “an example,” “a specific example,” “an aspect,” “an embodiment,” or similar phrases are intended to introduce one or more features (depending on the context) of a WS12-releasing hydrogel contact lens or a component thereof, a sealed contact lens package or a component thereof, or a method of manufacturing a WS12-releasing hydrogel contact lens, which may be combined with any combination of previously described or subsequently described examples, aspects, embodiments (i.e., features), unless such particular combinations of features are mutually exclusive or if the context otherwise indicates. Furthermore, as used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “described” include multiple indicators (e.g., at least one or more) unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Thus, for example, references to “contact lens” include a single lens as well as two or more of the same or different lenses.

[0067] All references cited in this disclosure are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety to the extent that they do not contradict this disclosure.

[0068] This invention may include any combination of the various features or embodiments described elaboratingly as in sentences and / or paragraphs of the claims above and / or below. Any combination of features disclosed herein is considered part of the invention and is not intended to limit the composable features.

[0069] Other embodiments of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of this specification and practice. This specification and examples are intended to be illustrative only, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are indicated by the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A non-dispensed, sterile, silicone hydrogel contact lens immersed in a packaging solution and sealed in a package, the contact lens comprising: (a) a polymeric lens body; and (b) an amount of WS 12 releasably attached to the polymeric lens body, wherein the amount of WS 12 releasably attached to the polymeric lens body is from 0.2 pg to 0.7 pg, and the amount of WS 12 releasably attached to the polymeric lens body provides a basal tear fluid concentration of from 2 ng / ml to 8 ng / ml WS 12 in a lens wearer after 30 minutes of lens wear.

2. The contact lens of claim 1, wherein the basal tear fluid concentration of WS 12 is from 3 ng / ml to 6 ng / ml after 30 minutes of lens wear.

3. The contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of WS 12 releasably attached to the polymeric lens body is from about 0.3 pg to about 0.6 pg.

4. The contact lens of claim 1 or 2, which does not increase the tear meniscus height compared to a control lens.

5. The contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the package is autoclave sterilized.

6. The contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein any WS 12 in the packaging solution is less than the detection level as determined by HPLC.

7. The contact lens of claim 1 or 2, wherein the package is a blister package comprising: (a) a plastic base member comprising a cavity configured to hold the contact lens and a packaging solution; (b) a flange region extending outwardly around the cavity; and (c) a removable foil attached to the flange region.

8. The contact lens of claim 7, further comprising an indirect package, wherein the indirect package comprises a plurality of blister packages, and wherein each blister package within the indirect package houses a contact lens comprising the same amount of WS 12 as each other contact lens housed by the indirect package.

9. The contact lens of claim 8, wherein the indirect package houses at least 7 blister packages.

10. A non-therapeutic use of a contact lens as claimed in any preceding claim to increase contact lens comfort in a contact lens wearer.

11. A non-therapeutic use of a contact lens as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 to reduce eye strain in a contact lens wearer.

12. A non-therapeutic use of a contact lens as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 to reduce the sensation of dryness in the eyes in a contact lens wearer.

13. A non-therapeutic use of a contact lens as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9 to impart a pleasant, cool sensation without causing stinging or burning upon insertion in a contact lens wearer.

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