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Safety and tolerability of topical polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB): a randomised clinical trial in healthy adult volunteers

Dart, J; Papa, V; van der Meulen, I; Rottey, S; Sallet, G; Overweel, J; Asero, A; (2021) Safety and tolerability of topical polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB): a randomised clinical trial in healthy adult volunteers. British Journal of Ophthalmology 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-317848. (In press). Green open access

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Abstract

Background and Aims: Polyhexamethyl biguanide (PHMB), a widely used topical treatment for Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK), is unlicensed with no formal safety assessment. This study evaluated its safety and tolerability. Methods: A prospective, randomised, double-masked controlled trial in 90 healthy volunteers. Subjects were treated with topical 0.04%, 0.06%, 0.08% PHMB or placebo (vehicle) 12× daily for 7 days, then 6× daily for 7 days. The rates of dose-limiting adverse events (DLAEs) leading to interruption of dosing, mild adverse events (AEs) (not dose limiting) and incidental AEs (unrelated to treatment) were compared. The primary outcome was the difference between treatments for DLAE rates. Results: 5/90 subjects developed DLAE within <1–4 days of starting treatment; 2/5 using PHMB 0.06% and 3/5 PHMB 0.08%. These resolved within 1–15 days. There were no significant differences in DLAE between treatment groups. Mild AEs occurred in 48/90 subjects (including placebo). There was no trend for an increased incidence of any AE with increasing concentrations of PHMB, except for corneal punctate keratopathy with PHMB 0.08%, which fully resolved within 7–14 days. Conclusion: These findings are reassuring for PHMB 0.02% users. They also suggest that higher PHMB concentrations may show acceptable levels of tolerance and toxicity in AK subjects, whose susceptibility to AE may be greater than for the normal eyes in this study. Given the potential benefits of higher PHMB concentrations for treating deep stromal invasion in AK, we think that the use of PHMB 0.08% is justified in treatment trials.

Type: Article
Title: Safety and tolerability of topical polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB): a randomised clinical trial in healthy adult volunteers
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-317848
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2020-317848
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Institute of Ophthalmology
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10113339
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