Update on twice-daily bromfenac sodium sesquihydrate to treat postoperative ocular inflammation following cataract extraction

Ester Carreño¹, Alejandro Portero², David J Galarreta^1,3, José M Herreras^1,3
1Ocular Immunology Unit-IOBA (Instituto Universitario de Oftalmobiología), University of Valladolid, Campus Miguel Delibes, Valladolid, Spain; ²Ocular Immunology Unit, Hospital La Zarzuela, Madrid, Spain; ³Ocular Immunology Unit, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

Abstract: Ophthalmic bromfenac sodium sesquihydrate is a topically applied selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor. It is similar to amfenac, except for a bromine atom at the C₄ of the benzoyl ring position, which markedly affects its in vitro and in vivo potency, extends the duration of anti-inflammatory activity, and enhances its inhibitory effect on COX-2 absorption across the cornea and penetration into ocular tissues. The United States Food and Drug Administration approved bromfenac in 2005 for the treatment of postoperative inflammation and the reduction of ocular pain in patients who have undergone cataract surgery. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and among them bromfenac, could be even more effective than steroids at reestablishing the blood–aqueous barrier, as revealed by flare on slit-lamp examination and as quantitatively measured using ocular fluorophotometry. Similar to other NSAIDs, it has a role in inhibiting intraoperative miosis during cataract surgery. However, bromfenac also seems to be useful in other situations, such as refractive surgery, allergic conjunctivitis (not useful in dry eye), choroidal neovascularization, and even ocular oncology. No reports of systemic toxicity have been published and bromfenac has good topical tolerance with a low incidence of adverse effects.

Keywords: bromfenac, ophthalmic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, inflammation, cataract surgery