FDA Approves Drug For Glaucoma
Posted on 14. Feb, 2012 by Louise MacLean in Lifestyle
A new glaucoma drug, Zioptan, has been approved for use in the U.S.
February 14, 2012- On Monday, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug by pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. to help treat glaucoma. Zioptan helps to treat elevated intraocular pressure in patients that have glaucoma or a form of ocular hypertension. Open-angle is the form of glaucoma the drug treats and is the most common of the disease. It involves increasing pressuring being placed against the eye’s optic nerve.
The active ingredient in the drug is tafluprost, which was approved previously to be used in a number of European countries under the name Saflutan. Merck wanted to use that brand name for the U.S. but the FDA did not accept it.
Merck says that Zioptan is preservative-free. Preservatives sometimes are associated with adverse effects in some of the glaucoma drugs that are used. Clinical trials showed that intraocular pressure was lowered by the drug after just three to six months of use.
Some reports say the drug has caused pigment changes in tissues near the area where it is administered as well as causing eyelashes to grow. Others have reported redness or conjunctival hyperemia in the eyes.
The drug should be available to patients within a month and will cost $97 for a month’s supply. The drug was initially declined by the FDA in November of last year, as the FDA requested more information from Merck about the drug.
