Tafluprost 15micrograms/ml eye drops 0.3ml unit dose preservative free

Hannu Uusitalo,1 Evgeniy Egorov,2 Kai Kaarniranta,3 Yuri Astakhov,4 Auli Ropo5 On behalf of the Switch Study Tafluprost Study Groups 1Department of Ophthalmology, SILK, University of Tampere, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland; 2Department of Ophthalmology, The Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia; 3Department of Ophthalmology, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland, 4Department of Ophthalmology, First Pavlov State Medical University of St Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, 5Global Medical Affairs, Santen Oy, Tampere, Finland Introduction: Glaucoma patients frequently exhibit ocular surface side effects during treatment with prostaglandin eye drops. The present work investigated whether glaucoma patients suffering from signs and symptoms of ocular surface disease while using preserved latanoprost eye drops benefited from switching to preservative-free tafluprost eye drops. Patients and methods: The analysis was based on 339 glaucoma patients enrolled in two Phase IIIb trials. The patients were required to have two symptoms, or one sign and one symptom of ocular surface disease at baseline, and at least 6 months preceding treatment with latanoprost eye drops preserved with benzalkonium chloride. All eligible patients were switched from latanoprost to preservative-free tafluprost for a total of 12 weeks. Ocular symptoms and ocular signs were evaluated at baseline and at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after commencing treatment with tafluprost. Intraocular pressure (IOP), drop discomfort, and treatment preference were evaluated to investigate the clinical efficacy and patient-related outcomes. Results: After 12 weeks of treatment with preservative-free tafluprost, the incidences of irritation/burning/stinging, foreign body sensation, tearing, itching, and dry eye sensation had diminished to one-third of those reported for preserved latanoprost at baseline. The incidences of blepharitis and corneal/conjunctival fluorescein staining had in turn decreased to one-half of those reported for preserved latanoprost. Severity of conjunctival hyperemia was halved during treatment with preservative-free tafluprost, and there was significant improvement in tear break-up time and tear production. A further reduction in IOP (~1 mmHg) was seen with preservative-free tafluprost compared with preserved latanoprost. Drop discomfort was alleviated during preservative-free tafluprost treatment, and an outstanding majority of patients (72%) preferred preservative-free tafluprost over preserved latanoprost. Conclusion: This meta-analysis confirmed that IOP remained at the same level after replacing benzalkonium chloride-preserved latanoprost eye drops with preservative-free tafluprost eye drops. Preservative-free tafluprost significantly decreased the symptoms and signs of ocular surface disease and outrated latanoprost in drop comfort and treatment preference. Keywords: Taflotan®, preserved latanoprost, Xalatan®, ocular surface disease, ocular symptoms and signs, IOP, patient-related outcome

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC 3.0

Joseph Anthony Tumbocon,1,2 Tina T Wong,3– 5 Thanendthire Sangapillai,6 Yung-Chang Yen,7 Sang-Woo Park,8 Hsien Han Lim,9 Ngamkae Ruangvaravate10 1Eye Institute, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City, Philippines; 2Department of Ophthalmology, St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine, Quezon City, Philippines; 3Glaucoma Department, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore, Singapore; 4Cataract & Comprehensive Ophthalmology Department, Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore; 5Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore; 6Tun Hussein Onn National Eye Hospital, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; 7Department of Ophthalmology, Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan City, Taiwan; 8Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea; 9Eye Centre, Sunway Medical Centre, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia; 10Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, ThailandCorrespondence: Joseph Anthony Tumbocon, Eye Institute, St. Luke’s Medical Center, 279 E Rodriguez Sr. Ave, Quezon City, Metro Manila, 1112, Philippines, Email jatumbocon@gmail.comBackground: Preserved prostaglandin analogs (PGAs) have been linked to ocular surface disease (OSD). While the benefits of preservative-low (PL) or -free (PF) Tafluprost (Santen Inc., Japan) were reported in real-world studies in Western countries, this is the first study in Asia to assess the effectiveness and safety of switching from preserved PGA to PL or PF-Tafluprost.Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis on studies that included adults (> 18 years of age) with a Corneal Fluorescein Staining Score (CFS) > 1. These individuals had switched to PL or PF-tafluprost after using a preserved PGA therapy for at least 3 months for glaucoma and were identified from Santen’s tafluprost study database. A total of six studies from South Korea, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan were pooled for analysis.Results: An intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction of 5.9% (0.91 mmHg) was seen in 265 patients. However, this result was not statistically significant (95% CI: − 3.64, 1.81; Figure 1). Among 132 patients, a 47.9% reduction in the CFS (95% CI: − 3.65, − 1.91) was seen. Tear film break-up (n=183) significantly increased by 1.06 seconds (95% CI: 0.65, 1.47). In 88 patients, the bulbar conjunctiva score decreased by − 0.46 (95% CI: − 0.81, − 0.10) and palpebral conjunctiva score decreased by − 0.42 (95% CI: − 0.67– 0.17). One or more new adverse reactions were reported in 3% of the individuals after switching.Conclusion: Tafluprost IOP reduction is comparable to other PGAs, with significant improvements in the ocular surface and minimal adverse reactions which were already previously reported.Keywords: ocular surface disease, glaucoma, preserved prostaglandins, tafluprost, PGA, preservative-free, preservative-low, Asian population, meta analysis

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC 3.0

The preservative-free fixed-dose combination formulation of 0.0015% tafluprost and 0.5% timolol (PF tafluprost/timolol FC) is among the topical intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering therapies commonly used second-line for the management of ocular hypertension (OHT) and open-angle glaucoma (OAG), according to recommended treatment pathways. A growing body of evidence has developed in recent years regarding efficacy, safety and tolerability outcomes with PF tafluprost/timolol FC in both randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-life studies. This review aims to summarize key evidence from published Phase IV trials and real-life studies to highlight those data that complement RCT findings and support implementation of evidence-informed clinical practice. Real-life efficacy and safety outcomes are discussed through the lens of common clinical scenarios that ophthalmologists may encounter in the management of OHT/OAG. Phase IV studies conducted to date have demonstrated that the majority of OHT/OAG patients insufficiently controlled on topical prostaglandin or beta-blocker monotherapy may achieve IOP reductions of ≥20% following a switch to PF tafluprost/timolol FC therapy. Statistically significant IOP reductions were reported from 4 weeks and maintained through 6 months. Real-life studies and case series data also indicated that patients with poor IOP control on maximal/complex topical regimens benefited from a step down to PF tafluprost/timolol FC therapy, achieving significant and sustained IOP reductions. A number of studies have shown improvements in tolerability and the signs and symptoms of ocular health with PF tafluprost/timolol FC therapy, both in patients stepping up from monotherapy and in those simplifying their topical regimen. Clinicians reported better treatment adherence with PF tafluprost/timolol FC compared with prior treatments, which may have been associated with enhanced patient experience regarding treatment tolerability and is likely to have contributed to the long-term IOP-lowering efficacy outcomes observed. Real-life safety data for PF tafluprost/timolol FC reflect outcomes reported in published RCTs.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC 3.0

PurposeThis review aims to consolidate and evaluate the clinical evidence on the efficacy and safety of benzalkonium chloride (BAK)-preserved and BAK-free latanoprost in the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT). The primary research question addresses whether BAK-free formulations offer comparable efficacy with improved safety profiles compared to BAK-preserved formulations.MethodsAn extensive literature search was conducted using PubMed up to February 2025. Keywords included "latanoprost", "primary open-angle glaucoma", "ocular hypertension", "efficacy", and "safety". Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed clinical trials and meta-analyses comparing latanoprost with placebo or other treatments (eg. bimatoprost, travoprost, tafluprost, latanoprostene bunod). Exclusion criteria included observational studies, review articles, and studies comparing preservative-free prostaglandin analogues and omidenepag.ResultsThirty-two studies (17 randomized clinical trials and 7 meta-analyses) were reviewed. Latanoprost, the first FDA-approved prostaglandin analogue, primarily increases uveoscleral outflow. Comparative studies indicate that latanoprost achieves a good balance between IOP reduction and tolerability compared to bimatoprost, travoprost, tafluprost, and unoprostone. Latanoprost also reduces visual field progression and maintains central corneal thickness (CCT). It improves ocular perfusion pressure (OPP), reducing the risk of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Safety profiles show fewer side effects, such as conjunctival hyperemia, hypertrichosis, and periocular pigmentation, compared to other PGAs. BAK-free formulations demonstrate improved corneal health and patient compliance due to reduced ocular surface toxicity.ConclusionLatanoprost remains a first-line therapy for POAG and OHT due to its efficacy, safety, and patient adherence. The availability of BAK-free formulations enhances its therapeutic profile, with reduced corneal toxicity making it a preferred choice for long-term glaucoma management.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC