Patient considerations in ocular hypertension: role of bimatoprost ophthalmic solution

Abstract

Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The reduction of intraocular pressure has been well established as an effective treatment to prevent both the development and the progression of all forms of glaucoma. Bimatoprost 0.03% ophthalmic solution, introduced in 2001, is a synthetic prostamide with the unique mechanism of improving both uveoscleral and trabecular outflow. Comparative studies with other pharmacotherapies have shown favorable results for bimatoprost as a potent ocular hypotensive agent that is generally well tolerated. Common side effects include conjunctival hyperemia, eyelash growth, iris pigmentation and periorbital changes. Hyperemia rates were reduced following the introduction of bimatoprost 0.01%. Bimatoprost should be used with caution in those with higher risk of developing ocular inflammation and macular edema. However, the perceived risk of bimatoprost in these patient populations is likely greater than the actual risk observed in practice. Bimatoprost is currently in the center of several clinical trials including its use for dermatologic applications and sustained-release therapies for the treatment of ocular hypertension and glaucoma.

Discovery, characterization and clinical utility of prostaglandin agonists for the treatment of glaucoma

“…The four FP‐PGAs approved for use in the United States, the EU and Japan as of late 2017 are latanoprost (Digiuni et al, ), travoprost (Quaranta et al, ), bimatoprost (Lee et al, ) and tafluprost (Keating, ) (Figure ). These are widely thought to be prodrugs, with their biomolecular mechanism of action believed to be activation of the PG FP receptor by their derivative, free carboxylic acid moiety.…”

Open‐label pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of topical bimatoprost on rhododendrol‐induced refractory leukoderma

“…It was reported that bimatoprost induced skin pigmentation and iris pigmentation as adverse effects . Periocular pigmentation has been reported to occur more frequently with bimatoprost than with other prostaglandins . Moreover, periocular pigmentation occurs more frequently in Asians than in Caucasians .…”

“…Mediation of a prostaglandin‐induced upregulation of tyrosinase is thought to be a possible mechanism of iris pigmentation caused by bimatoprost . In one small study, bimatoprost was used to treat facial and non‐facial vitiligo with moderate success, although larger and long‐term trials are pending …”

“…[11][12][13][14][15] Periocular pigmentation has been reported to occur more frequently with bimatoprost than with other prostaglandins. 14,16 Moreover, periocular pigmentation occurs more frequently in Asians than in Caucasians. [17][18][19][20] Increased frequency of periocular skin pigmentation has been reported with prolonged use of bimatoprost.…”

“…22 In one small study, bimatoprost was used to treat facial and non-facial vitiligo with moderate success, 12 although larger and long-term trials are pending. 16 Therefore, we conducted an open-label single-center pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of bimatoprost for the treatment of refractory RD-induced leukoderma.…”