Latanoprost, sold under the brand name Xalatan among others, is a medication used to treat increased pressure inside the eye. This includes ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma. It is applied as eye drops to the eyes. Onset of effects is usually within four hours, and they last for up to a day.Common side effects include blurry vision, redness of the eye, itchiness, and darkening of the iris. Latanoprost is in the prostaglandin analogue family of medications. It works by increasing the outflow of aqueous fluid from the eyes through the uveoscleral tract.Latanoprost was approved for medical use in the United States in 1996. It is on the World Health Organizations List of Essential Medicines. Latanoprost is available as a generic medication. In 2019, it was the 77th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States with more than 9 million prescriptions. It is available as a combination with netarsudil and with timolol. Medical uses
Open-angle glaucoma
In people with ocular hypertension (intraocular pressure (IOP) ≥21 mm Hg) including open-angle glaucoma, treatment with latanoprost reduced IOP levels by 22 to 39% over 1 to 12 months’ treatment. Latanoprost was more effective than timolol 0.5% twice daily in 3 of 4 large (n = 163 to 267) randomised, double-blind trials. Latanoprost demonstrated a stable long-term IOP-lowering effect in 1- or 2-year continuations of these trials, with no sign of diminishing effect during prolonged treatment.
The metabolites are mainly excreted via the kidney.The activation and deactivation pathway is analogous to the one of tafluprost (at least up to the tetranor-metabolite); compare Tafluprost#Pharmacokinetics. Chemistry
Stability
Latanoprost exhibits thermal and solar instability. The concentration of latanoprost stored at 50 °C will decrease by 10% every 8.25 days. When stored at 70 °C the concentration will decrease by 10% every 1.32 days. Ultraviolet light, for example in sunlight, causes rapid degradation of latanoprost. Society and culture
The brand Xalatan is manufactured by Pfizer. Cosmetic use
Lengthening and thickening of the eyelashes (used, like bimatoprost, in the cosmetic industry as eyelash growth enhancers). There is one small study that found benefit in androgenic alopecia. References
External links
"Latanoprost". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.