Active Substance: travoprost
Common Name: travoprost
ATC Code: S01EE04
Marketing Authorisation Holder: Alcon Laboratories (UK) Ltd.
Active Substance: travoprost
Authorisation Date: 2001-11-27
Therapeutic Area: Ocular Hypertension Glaucoma, Open-Angle
Pharmacotherapeutic Group: Ophthalmologicals
Decrease of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma.
What is Travatan?
Travatan is a clear eye-drop solution that contains the active substance travoprost.
What is Travatan used for?
Travatan is used to reduce intraocular pressure (pressure inside the eye). It is used in adults who have open-angle glaucoma (a disease where the pressure in the eye rises because fluid cannot drain out of the eye) and in adults with ocular hypertension (when the pressure in the eye is higher than normal).
The medicine can only be obtained with a prescription.
How is Travatan used?
The dose is one drop of Travatan in the affected eye(s) once a day, preferably in the evening.
How does Travatan work?
When intraocular pressure is raised, it causes damage to the retina (the light-sensitive membrane at the back of the eye) and to the optic nerve that sends signals from the eye to the brain. This can result in serious vision loss and even blindness. By lowering the pressure, Travatan reduces the risk of damage.
The active substance in Travatan, travoprost, is a prostaglandin analogue (a man-made copy of a natural substance, prostaglandin). In the eye, prostaglandin increases the drainage of the watery fluid (aqueous humour) out of the eyeball. Travatan acts in the same way and increases the flow of fluid out of the eye. This helps to reduce the pressure inside the eye.
How has Travatan been studied?
Travatan has been studied in 1,989 patients in three main studies, lasting between six and 12 months. All three studies compared travoprost with timolol, which is the standard treatment for glaucoma. One of the three trials also included a comparison with latanoprost (another prostaglandin analogue used for glaucoma).
The main measure of effectiveness was the reduction in intraocular pressure. Another study also compared the effectiveness of adding Travatan to treat patients who were also receiving timolol (427 patients, six-month duration).
What benefit has Travatan shown during the studies?
Travatan was at least as effective as timolol and as effective as latanoprost in reducing intraocular pressure. The combined treatment with Travatan plus timolol produced an additional decrease of intraocular pressure in patients who were not controlled with timolol alone.
What is the risk associated with Travatan?
The most common side effects when using Travatan (seen in more than 1 patient in 10) are ocular hyperaemia (increased blood supply to the eye, leading to eye irritation and redness) and iris hyperpigmentation (darkening of the colour of the iris). There may also be changes to the patient’s eyelashes, including increased length, thickness, colour or number of lashes. For the full list of all side effects reported with Travatan, see the package leaflet.
Travatan should not be used in people who may be hypersensitive (allergic) to travoprost or any of the other ingredients. Travatan contains benzalkonium chloride, which is known to discolour soft contact lenses. Therefore, care should be taken by people who wear soft contact lenses.
Why has Travatan been approved?
The CHMP decided that Travatan’s benefits are greater than its risks and recommended that it be given marketing authorisation.
Other information about Travatan
The European Commission granted a marketing authorisation valid throughout the European Union, for Travatan to Alcon Laboratories (UK) Limited on 27 November 2001. The marketing authorisation is valid for an unlimited period.
For more information about treatment with Travatan, read the package leaflet (also part of the EPAR) or contact your doctor or pharmacist.
Source: European Medicines Agency
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