Optivar

Medical Editor: John P. Cunha, DO, FACOEP Last updated on RxList: 5/9/2022

Drug Summary

What Is Optivar?

Optivar (azelastine hydrochloride) is an antihistamine used to treat itchy eyes caused by allergies (hay fever). Optivar is available in generic form.

What Are Side Effects of Optivar?

Common side effects of Optivar include:

  • temporary stinging,
  • burning,
  • itching,
  • irritation, or
  • discomfort of the eyes for a minute or two when applied.

Other side effects of Optivar include:

  • temporary blurred vision,
  • headache,
  • runny nose, or
  • a bitter taste in the mouth.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Optivar including:

  • severe burning, stinging, itching, or eye redness after using this medication;
  • eye pain;
  • trouble breathing; fever, chills, sore throat, or flu symptoms.

Dosage for Optivar

The recommended dose of Optivar is one drop instilled into each affected eye twice a day.

Optivar During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

It is not likely other drugs you take orally or inject will have an effect on Optivar ophthalmic used in your eyes. But many drugs can interact with each other. Tell your doctor all prescription and over-the-counter medications and supplements you use.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Optivar?

Optivar should be used only when prescribed during pregnancy. It is unknown if this drug passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breastfeeding.

Additional Information

Our Optivar (azelastine hydrochloride) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

Description for Optivar

OPTIVAR® (azelastine hydrochloride) Ophthalmic Solution, 0.05% is a sterile ophthalmic solution containing azelastine hydrochloride, a relatively selective H1 -receptor antagonist for topical administration to the eyes. Azelastine hydrochloride is a white crystalline powder with a molecular weight of 418.37. Azelastine hydrochloride is sparingly soluble in water, methanol and propylene glycol, and slightly soluble in ethanol, octanol, and glycerine. Azelastine hydrochloride is a racemic mixture with a melting point of 225°C. The chemical name for azelastine hydrochloride is (±)-1-(2H)- phthalazinone,4-[(4-chlorophenyl) methyl]-2-(hexahydro-1-methyl-1H-azepin-4-yl)-, monohydrochloride and is represented by the following chemical structure:

OPTIVAR® (azelastine hydrochloride) Structural Formula Illustration

Empirical chemical structure: C22H24ClN3O•HCl

Each mL of OPTIVAR® contains: Active: 0.5 mg azelastine hydrochloride, equivalent to 0.457 mg of azelastine base; Preservative: 0.125 mg benzalkonium chloride; Inactives : disodium edetate dihydrate, hypromellose, sorbitol solution, sodium hydroxide and water for injection. It has a pH of approximately 5.0 to 6.5 and an osmolarity of approximately 271 to 312 mOsmol/L.

Uses for Optivar

OPTIVAR® is indicated for the treatment of itching of the eye associated with allergic conjunctivitis.

Dosage for Optivar

The recommended dose is one drop instilled into each affected eye twice a day.

HOW SUPPLIED

OPTIVAR® (azelastine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution), 0.05% is supplied as follows:

OPTIVAR® 6 mL (NDC#0037-7025-60) solution in a translucent 10 mL HDPE container with a LDPE dropper tip and a white HDPE screw cap.

Storage

Store UPRIGHT between 2° and 25°C (36° and 77°F).

Distributed by: MEDA Pharmaceuticals Meda Pharmaceuticals Inc. Somers et, New Jers ey 08873-4120. Revised: April 2014

Side Effects for Optivar

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Meda Pharmaceuticals Inc. at 1-800- 526-3840 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

In controlled multiple-dose studies where patients were treated for up to 56 days, the most frequently reported adverse reactions were transient eye burning/stinging (approximately 30%), headaches (approximately 15%) and bitter taste (approximately 10%). The occurrence of these events was generally mild.

The following events were reported in 1–10% of patients: asthma, conjunctivitis, dyspnea, eye pain, fatigue, influenza-like symptoms, pharyngitis, pruritus, rhinitis and temporary blurring. Some of these events were similar to the underlying disease being studied.

Drug Interactions for Optivar

No Information Provided

Warnings for Optivar

OPTIVAR® is for ocular use only and not for injection or oral use.

Precautions for Optivar

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment Of Fertility

Azelastine hydrochloride administered orally for 24 months was not carcinogenic in rats and mice at doses up to 30 mg/kg/day and 25 mg/kg/day, respectively. Based on a 30 ìL drop size, these doses were approximately 25,000 and 21,000 times higher than the maximum recommended ocular human use level of 0.001 mg/kg/day for a 50 kg adult.

Azelastine hydrochloride showed no genotoxic effects in the Ames test, DNA repair test, mouse lymphoma forward mutation assay, mouse micronucleus test, or chromosomal aberration test in rat bone marrow. Reproduction and fertility studies in rats showed no effects on male or female fertility at oral doses of up to 25,000 times the maximum recommended ocular human use level. At 68.6 mg/kg/day (57,000 times the maximum recommended ocular human use level), the duration of the estrous cycle was prolonged and copulatory activity and the number of pregnancies were decreased. The numbers of corpora lutea and implantations were decreased; however, the implantation ratio was not affected.

Pregnancy

Teratogenic Effects

Pregnancy Category C. Azelastine hydrochloride has been shown to be embryotoxic, fetotoxic, and teratogenic (external and skeletal abnormalities) in mice at an oral dose of 68.6 mg/kg/day (57,000 times the recommended ocular human use level). At an oral dose of 30 mg/kg/day (25,000 times the recommended ocular human use level), delayed ossification (undeveloped metacarpus) and the incidence of 14th rib were increased in rats. At 68.6 mg/kg/day (57,000 times the maximum recommended ocular human use level) azelastine hydrochloride caused resorption and fetotoxic effects in rats. The relevance to humans of these skeletal findings noted at only high drug exposure levels is unknown.

There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women. OPTIVAR® should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether azelastine hydrochloride is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when OPTIVAR® is administered to a nursing woman.

Pediatric Use

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients below the age of 3 have not been established.

Geriatric Use

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

Overdose Information for Optivar

No Information Provided

Contraindications for Optivar

OPTIVAR® is contraindicated in persons with known or suspected hypersensitivity to any of its components.

Clinical Pharmacology for Optivar

Azelastine hydrochloride is a relatively selective histamine H1 antagonist and an inhibitor of the release of histamine and other mediators from cells (e.g. mast cells) involved in the allergic response. Based on in-vitro studies using human cell lines, inhibition of other mediators involved in allergic reactions (e.g. leukotrienes and PAF) has been demonstrated with azelastine hydrochloride. Decreased chemotaxis and activation of eosinophils has also been demonstrated.

Pharmacokinetics And Metabolism

Absorption of azelastine following ocular administration was relatively low. A study in symptomatic patients receiving one drop of OPTIVAR® in each eye two to four times a day (0.06 to 0.12 mg azelastine hydrochloride) demonstrated plasma concentrations of azelastine hydrochloride to generally be between 0.02 and 0.25 ng/mL after 56 days of treatment. Three of nineteen patients had quantifiable amounts of N-desmethylazelastine that ranged from 0.25–0.87 ng/mL at Day 56.

Based on intravenous and oral administration, the elimination half-life, steady-state volume of distribution and plasma clearance were 22 hours, 14.5 L/kg and 0.5 L/h/kg, respectively. Approximately 75% of an oral dose of radiolabeled azelastine hydrochloride was excreted in the feces with less than 10% as unchanged azelastine. Azelastine hydrochloride is oxidatively metabolized to the principal metabolite, N-desmethylazelastine, by the cytochrome P450 enzyme system. In-vitro studies in human plasma indicate that the plasma protein binding of azelastine and N-desmethylazelastine are approximately 88% and 97%, respectively.

Clinical Trials

In a conjunctival antigen challenge study, OPTIVAR® was more effective than its vehicle in preventing itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis. OPTIVAR® had a rapid (within 3 minutes) onset of effect and a duration of effect of approximately 8 hours for the prevention of itching.

In environmental studies, adult and pediatric patients with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis were treated with OPTIVAR® for two to eight weeks. In these studies, OPTIVAR® was more effective than its vehicle in relieving itching associated with allergic conjunctivitis.

Patient Information for Optivar

To prevent contaminating the dropper tip and solution, care should be taken not to touch any surface, the eyelids, or surrounding areas with the dropper tip of the bottle. Keep bottle tightly closed when not in use. This product is sterile when packaged.

Patients should be advised not to wear a contact lens if their eye is red. OPTIVAR® should not be used to treat contact lens related irritation. The preservative in OPTIVAR® , benzalkonium chloride, may be absorbed by soft contact lenses. Patients who wear soft contact lenses and whose eyes are not red, should be instructed to wait at least ten minutes after instilling OPTIVAR® before they insert their contact lenses.

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Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.