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. 2023 Oct 26;18(10):e0293066.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293066. eCollection 2023.

Google Search Trends to assess public interest in and concern about Vuity for treating presbyopia

Taku Wakabayashi  1 , Hana A Mansour  1 , Robert M Abishek  1 , Jayanth Sridhar  2 , Michael N Cohen  1 , David Xu  1 , Jordan Deaner  1 , Yoshihiro Yonekawa  1 , Jason Hsu  1 , Ajay E Kuriyan  1
Affiliations

Google Search Trends to assess public interest in and concern about Vuity for treating presbyopia

Taku Wakabayashi et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Purpose: To assess public awareness, interest, and concerns regarding Vuity (1.25% pilocarpine hydrochloride ophthalmic solution), an eye drop for the treatment of presbyopia, based on Google Trends.

Methods: We used Google Trends that provides a relative search volume for queried terms, to evaluate searches for Vuity from June 30, 2021, to June 30, 2022, in the United States. The data for this study were downloaded on June 30, 2022. Main outcome measures were changes in relative search volumes for the terms "Vuity," "Eye drops for reading," "Eye drops for near vision," "Presbyopia," "Pilocarpine," and related popular search terms, such as "Vuity side effects," and "Vuity retinal detachment".

Results: Since the approval of Vuity on October 29, 2021, notable increases in the relative search volumes occurred for Vuity in October 2021, December 2021, and from March to April 2022, which coincided with its approval, availability, and subsequent direct-to-consumer advertising based on positive results of clinical trials. The direct-to-consumer advertising had the greatest impact on the search volume for Vuity. Specific interests included Vuity cost, where to buy it, and its side effects. Retinal detachment was the most highly searched Vuity side effect. Geographic variation was evident, with the relative search volumes highest for "Vuity" in Wyoming, followed by North Dakota.

Conclusion: Google Trends is a useful tool for monitoring increases in public interest in Vuity for presbyopia. Public concerns regarding side effects warrant further real-world investigations of the causal relationship between Vuity and retinal detachment.

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Conflict of interest statement

I have read the journal’s policy and the authors of this manuscript have the following competing interests: AEK: Consultant/Speaker: Alimera Sciences, Allergan, Bausch + Lomb, Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals, Optos, Novartis, Genentech/Roche, Recens Medical, Spark Therapeutics; Grant funding: Adverum, Annexon, Alcon Laboratories, Genentech/Roche. YY: Consultant/Advisory Board: Alcon, Bausch Health, Regeneron, Tarsus, Versant Health. JS: Consultant for Alcon, Apellis, DORC, Genentech/Roche, Regeneron, MNC: Consultant/Advisory Board: Allergan, Keeler, Apellis, Alimera Sciences, DX: Consultant for Gyroscope Therapeutics, Apellis, Bausch & Lomb. The competing interests do not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
A. Weekly Variation of Overall Search Volumes for “Vuity,” “Presbyopia,” “Pilocarpine,” “Eye drops for reading,” and “Eye drops for near vision” from July 2021 to June 2022 in the United States. a. October 2021: The US Food and Drug Administration approved Vuity for the treatment of presbyopia. b. December 2021: Allergan announced the availability of Vuity. c. March to April 2022: Direct-to-consumer advertising in the form of television commercials was initiated by Allergan, based on the positive results of clinical trials (GEMINI1) published online in March. Allergan also officially announced the results of clinical trials in April 2022. B. Weekly Variation of Search Volumes for “Vuity” in Google shopping.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Weekly variation of overall search volumes for “Vuity side effects,” “Vuity retinal detachment,” and “Vuity headache,” “Vuity conjunctivitis,” “Vuity vision blur,” or “Vuity eye pain,” from July 2021 to June 2022 in the United States.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Choropleth maps of Google Trends showing geographic regional differences in interest in presbyopia and Vuity.
The top 10 states with the most relative search volume for each search term are listed.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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