Latanoprost

Chemical compound

Latanoprost, sold under the brand name Xalatan among others, is a medication used to treat increased pressure inside the eye (intraocular pressure). Common side effects include blurry vision, redness of the eye, itchiness, and darkening of the iris. Latanoprost was approved for medical use in the United States and the European Union in 1996. Latanoprost is available as a generic medication. In 2021, it was the 68th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States with more than 9million prescriptions. It is available as a combination with netarsudil and with timolol.

In the United States, latanoprost is indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in people with open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

In people with ocular hypertension (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 is 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. Meta analysis suggests that latanoprost is more effective than timolol in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). However, it often causes iris pigmentation. While current evidence suggests that this pigmentation is benign, careful lifetime evaluation of patients is still justified.

Patients who had elevated IOP despite iridotomy and/or iridectomy (including patients of Asian descent), latanoprost was significantly more effective than timolol in two double blind, monotherapy trials (8.2 and 8.8 mm Hg vs 5.2 and 5.7 mm Hg for latanoprost vs timolol at 12 and 2 weeks, respectively).

Interactions are similar to other prostaglandin analogs. Paradoxically, the concomitant use of latanoprost and bimatoprost or other prostaglandins may result in increased intraocular pressure.

Like other prostaglandin analogues, latanoprost acid is an analog of prostaglandin F2α that acts as a selective agonist at the prostaglandin F receptor. Prostaglandins increase the sclera's permeability to aqueous fluid. By giving latanoprorost, it increases prostaglandin's scleral activity, increasing outflow of aqueous fluid and lowering intraocular pressure.

Latanoprost was approved for medical use in the United States and the European Union in 1996. Iyuzeh, Xelpros, and Catiolanze.