FDA approves Merck & Co's Zioptan

The US Food and Drug Administration) has approved drug giant Merck & Co’s (NYSE: MRK) Zioptan (tafluprost ophthalmic solution) 0.0015%, the first preservative-free prostaglandin analog ophthalmic solution.

Licensed from Japan’s Santen Pharmaceuticals, Zioptan is approved for reducing elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension. Open-angle glaucoma is the most common form of glaucoma, while ocular hypertension is a condition characterized by an increase in pressure inside the eye. Merck anticipates that Zioptan will be available to customers in March. The drug is already marketed in some countries outside the USA under the trade name Saflutan.

“Prostaglandin analogs are often used as a first line of treatment to lower intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma. The approval of Zioptan will provide a new, effective option to lower IOP,” said George Spaeth of the Wills Eye Institute, Philadelphia, quoted by Merck.“I anticipate using Zioptan in many of these patients in my practice,” he added.