Let’s talk about Xelpros, the latest FDA approved drop out of Sun Pharma.
What is it?
Latanoprost 0.005%. The FDA approval is for the treatment of ocular hypertension and open angle glaucoma.
Wait, we already have Latanoprost. How is this different?
Xelpros is the only form of latanoprost that is not formulated with benzalkonium chloride (BAK). The company states that because the use of BAK can lead to ocular surface disease (OSD), this approval offers glaucoma patients suffering from OSD another treatment option.
What did the clinical trial say?
According to the company, “in a head to head comparative study in glaucoma patients, Xelpros was found to be as efficacious and as safe as Xalatan.” The most common side effects were eye pain/stinging upon instillation (55% of patients) and ocular hyperemia (41% of patients). Only 1% of patients stopped treatment due to these side effects.
This is Sun Pharma’s second FDA approval in the past month. A few weeks ago they received approval for Cequa (previous rundown here). (via)
