Hypromellose 2% ophthalmic viscosurgical device 2ml pre-filled syringes
Hypromellose, or hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) [L1812], is a semisynthetic, inert, and viscoelastic polymer that forms a colloid solution when dissolved in water.
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Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Hypromellose
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Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Hypromellose
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4 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Hypromellose on the MHRA register
AJL Cell 2% ophthalmic viscosurgical device 2ml pre-filled syringes
OcuCoat 2% ophthalmic viscosurgical device 2ml pre-filled syringes
Pe-Ha-Visco 2% ophthalmic viscosurgical device 2ml pre-filled syringes
SHMPC 2% ophthalmic viscosurgical device 2ml pre-filled syringes
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
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Supply & safety information
Official UK regulator monitoring and safety alerts
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 2 · 2004–2025
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Eliška Mašková, K. Kubová, B. Raimi-Abraham, et al.
Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society, 2020
Akram Hernández-Vásquez, Diego Azañedo, Rodrigo Vargas-Fernández, et al.
Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Pública, 2021
Qing Wang, Deng‐Guang Yu, Ling-Ling Zhang, et al.
Carbohydrate polymers, 2017
Chi L Li, Luigi G Martini, James L Ford, et al.
Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2005
Fumié Tanno, Yuichi Nishiyama, Hiroyasu Kokubo, et al.
Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy, 2004
Nicole Kavanagh, Owen I Corrigan
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2004
Qiongling Jiang, Wei Zhou, Jun Wang, et al.
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2016
Sandeep Sarabu, V. Kallakunta, S. Bandari, et al.
Carbohydrate polymers, 2020
F. A. Ngwabebhoh, Oyunchimeg Zandraa, R. Patwa, et al.
International journal of biological macromolecules, 2020
Haichen Nie, Yongchao Su, Mingtao Zhang, et al.
Molecular pharmaceutics, 2016
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
Not available
Mechanism
Promotes corneal wetting by the stabilization and thickening the precorneal tear…
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
1 target
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
[L1809]
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
[L1805]
Hypromellose is considered low toxicity to non-toxic .
[L1812]
Adverse events may include blurred vision and contact dermatitis .
[L1805]
Hypersensitivity and intolerance reactions may occur (for example, eye burning, pain, increased lacrimation, a sensation of foreign body, conjunctival hyperemia, eyelid swelling, pruritus). The stickiness sensation of the eyelids, the decreased sense of smell, photosensitivity .
[L1809]
The surface active properties of the vehicles found in artificial tears solutions act to stabilize the tear film and increase tear viscosity to prevent delay tear evaporation and delay tear drainage [L1805].
In the intact eye, the corneal surface is moistened primarily by the mucin that is produced in the conjunctiva. Mucin is adsorbed on the corneal surface and forms a hydrophilic surface. This creates a moisture barrier. In the typical dry eye, and particularly in case of mucin deficiency, the application of artificial tear fluid is highly recommended. Both its surface activity and its adsorptive capacity make hypromellose optimal for this use. Hypromellose has a physical-chemical action and leads to, in an aqueous solution, a reduced surface tension as well as an increased level of viscosity. Hypromellose adheres well to the cornea and conjunctiva and provides ample moisture. Irritation symptoms caused by blinking, which occur in the case of tear fluid deficiency, are therefore decreased and symptoms of epithelial desiccation are also alleviated [L1809].
Hypromellose is considered an inert substance as it has no direct pharmacological activity. The viscosity promoting properties of hypromellose prolong the retention time and improve adhesion of synthetic tears to the cornea and conjunctiva. As a result, the tear film breakdown time is prolonged and/or the tear film stability is enhanced. A stable tear film protects the cornea from dryness and epithelial cells [L1809].
Hypromellose is a methyl and hydroxypropyl mixed ether of cellulose. It is utilized as artificial tears to prevent conjunctival and corneal damage due to impaired lacrimal secretions. It is also used as a visco-elastic promoting agent by maintaining a deep, viscous chamber and allowing for easier manipulation, helping the vitreous surface to be pushed back, thus preventing the formation of a postoperative flat chamber [L1808].
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L1809]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
ATC S01KA02
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Hypromellose
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite:
- DrugBank 6.02024Recommended citationKnox C., Wilson M., Klinger C.M., et alDrugBank 6.0: the DrugBank Knowledgebase for 2024Nucleic Acids Res. 2024 Jan 552(D1):D1265-D1275
- DrugBank 5.02018Wishart D.S., Feunang Y.D., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank 5.0: a major update to the DrugBank database for 2018Nucleic Acids Res. 2017 Nov 846(D1):D1074-D1082
- DrugBank 4.02014Law V., Knox C., Djoumbou Y., et alDrugBank 4.0: shedding new light on drug metabolismNucleic Acids Res. 2014 Jan 142(1):D1091-7
- DrugBank 3.02011Knox C., Law V., Jewison T., et alDrugBank 3.0: a comprehensive resource for 'omics' research on drugsNucleic Acids Res. 2011 Jan39(Database issue):D1035-41
- DrugBank 2.02008Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a knowledgebase for drugs, drug actions and drug targets.Nucleic Acids Research2008 Jan36(Database issue):D901-6
- DrugBank 1.02006Wishart D.S., Knox C., Guo A.C., et alDrugBank: a comprehensive resource for in silico drug discovery and exploration.Nucleic Acids Research2006 Jan 134(Database issue):D668-72