Veterinary treatment of ophthalmic disease in animals using topical tacrolimus - Patent 6930127 A composition and method for veterinary treatment of ophthalmic immune-mediated inflammatory conditions in animals such as conjunctival disorders of the third eyelid, keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), chronic superficial keratitis (CSK), feline eosinophilic keratoconjunctivitis, allergic conjunctivitis, blepharoconjunctivitis, ocular rosacea, viral conjunctivitis, uveitis and phacoanaphylactic endophthalmitis involves the topical administration of tacrolimus to the eye in a pharmaceutically acceptable lubricant vehicle. The composition of the invention includes about 0.00001% to 10.0% tacrolimus by weight in a pharmaceutically acceptable oil-based solution or ointment and may be administered to the third eyelid of an affected animal. Conjunctivitis, or inflammation of the mobile mucous membrane covering the inner surfaces of the eyelids, is common in all domestic pets. The anatomy of dogs, cats, horses, ruminants and certain other quadrupeds includes a third eyelid, located between the cornea and the lower eyelid in the nasal portion of the lower conjuctival sac. The third eyelid includes a cartilage skeleton, a seromucoid gland and a conjunctival membrane covering both the inner, bulbar and outer, palpebral surfaces. The inner conjunctival surface includes an especially high concentration of lymphocytes that form active follicles when they are stimulated by antigens. For this reason, dogs and cats are particularly subject to development of a conjunctival disorder involving follicle proliferation on the third eyelid. The gland of the third eyelid produces about 50% of the precorneal tear film, so conjunctival disease leading to substantial impairment of the function of the third eye gland can lead to chronic corneal diseases such as keratitis.
