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Seeing eyes for blind dogs
New drug for canine ocular disease available in Desert Hills
by Jennifer Krahe

DESERT HILLS – Tacrolimus is a new ophthalmic medication for dry eyes and other ocular diseases occurring in dogs. It was developed in Desert Hills by Roadrunner Pharmacy six years ago. More than 1,400 veterinarians have prescribed the medication to approximately 4,000 dogs in clinical trials over three years. The preliminary results show that some dogs whose blindness was unresponsive to other medications regained their eyesight after taking the drug. Tacrolimus also appeared to remedy other conditions besides blindness.

Tacrolimus comes in a liquid form (eye drops) as well as a salve. The compounding pharmacy is able to titer it (concentrate it in solution) to specific prescriptions for dogs of all sizes with ocular problems of differing severities.

The product’s patent owner, Rob Eaton, reports that Tacrolimus has been approximately 90 percent effective. Eaton, a former pharmaceutical salesman, is the president of Eaton Veterinary Laboratories and co‑owner of Roadrunner Pharmacy, both located at Tuscani Pointe, on the southeast corner of 7th Street and Carefree Highway in Desert Hills. Roadrunner is a compounding pharmacy, selling its wares nationally to thousands of clinics.

Tacrolimus was invented at the pharmacy, part of the routine compounding that goes on every day. “We sell to 7,000 clinics,” Eaton explained. “They are always calling us with problems. That gets us thinking.”

Eaton is one year into the five‑year process required to garner Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Tacrolimus. Both the drug itself and the lab environment in which the drug is produced must be approved by the FDA. Eaton is also looking into international patents.

The laboratory and pharmacy will be producing and selling Tacrolimus out of the offices at Tuscani Pointe, but Eaton is assuring the public that this will not affect the community negatively. Eaton maintains that contamination of the surrounding area is impossible: “The drug is produced in an aseptic environment (completely sterile), and everything is autoclaved (sterilized with steam),” he explained. Further, the drug is produced in very small batches and is not harmful to humans.

“Our job is to come up with solutions,” Eaton laughed. “I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit.”

Eaton is offering an informational seminar about tacrolimus on August 3 at 7 p.m. at the Tuscani Pointe Fitness Center, 711 E. Carefree Highway. Call Roadrunner Pharmacy at (623) 434‑1180 to register.

Reach the reporter at jennifer@thedesertadvocate.com.

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