Travoprost, sold under the brand name Travatan among others, is a

medication A medication (also called medicament, medicine, pharmaceutical drug, medicinal drug or simply drug) is a drug used to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent disease. Drug therapy ( pharmacotherapy) is an important part of the medical field an ...

used to treat high pressure inside the eye including

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye re ...

. Specifically it is used for open angle glaucoma when other agents are not sufficient. It is used as an eye drop. Effects generally occur within two hours. Common side effects include red eyes, blurry vision, eye pain, dry eyes, and change in color of the eyes. Other significant side effects may include

cataracts A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...

. Use during

pregnancy Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins. Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ...

breastfeeding Breastfeeding, or nursing, is the process by which human breast milk is fed to a child. Breast milk may be from the breast, or may be expressed by hand or pumped and fed to the infant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that bre ...

is generally not recommended. It is a

prostaglandin The prostaglandins (PG) are a group of physiologically active lipid compounds called eicosanoids having diverse hormone-like effects in animals. Prostaglandins have been found in almost every tissue in humans and other animals. They are der ...

analog and works by increasing the outflow of aqueous fluid from the eyes. Travoprost was approved for medical use in the United States and in the European Union in 2001. It is available as a

generic medication A generic drug is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by chemical patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire. Because the active c ...

in the United Kingdom. In 2020, it was the 304th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1million prescriptions.

Medical uses

Travoprost is used to treat high pressure inside the eye including

. Specifically it is used for open angle glaucoma when other agents are not sufficient.

Side effects

Possible side effects are: * blurred vision * eyelid redness * permanent darkening of eyelashes * eye discomfort * permanent darkening of the iris to brown (

heterochromia Heterochromia is a variation in coloration. The term is most often used to describe color differences of the iris, but can also be applied to color variation of hair or skin. Heterochromia is determined by the production, delivery, and concentra ...

) * burning sensation during use * thickening of the eyelashes * inflammation of the

prostate gland The prostate is both an accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found only in some mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemically, and physi ...

, restricting urine flow ( BPH) Research suggests that wiping the eye with an absorbent pad after the administration of eye drops can result in shorter eyelashes and a lesser chance of hyperpigmentation in the eyelid, compared to not wiping off excess fluid.

Pharmacology

Mechanism of action

It is a synthetic prostaglandin analog (or more specifically, an

analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analo ...

of prostaglandin F_2α) that works by increasing the outflow of aqueous fluid from the

eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

s. Like other analogs of prostaglandin F_2α such as tafluprost and latanoprost, travoprost is an

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides ...

prodrug of the free acid, which acts as an

agonist An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the ago ...

at the prostaglandin F receptor, increasing outflow of aqueous fluid from the eye and thus lowering intraocular pressure.

Pharmacokinetics

Travoprost is absorbed through the

cornea The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical ...

, where it is hydrolysed to the free travoprost acid. Highest concentrations of the acid in the eye are reached one to two hours after application, and its half-life in the aqueous fluid is 1.5 hours. Once it reaches the bloodstream, it is quickly metabolised, so that concentrations in the system do not exceed 25 pg/ml (compared to 20 ng/ml in the eye, which is higher by nearly a factor of 1000). Metabolites are formed by

beta oxidation In biochemistry and metabolism, beta-oxidation is the catabolic process by which fatty acid molecules are broken down in the cytosol in prokaryotes and in the mitochondria in eukaryotes to generate acetyl-CoA, which enters the citric acid cyc ...

of the acidic chain (compare Tafluprost#Pharmacokinetics),

oxidation Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a ...

of the OH-group in the other side chain, and reduction of the double bond next to this OH-group. Travoprost acid and its metabolites are mainly excreted via the kidney with a terminal half-life of 45 minutes.

Drugs.com Drugs.com is an online pharmaceutical encyclopedia that provides drug information for consumers and healthcare professionals, primarily in the United States. It self-describes its information as "accurate and independent" yet limited to being " ...

: Travoprost . Travoprost metabolism

References

External links

* {{Portal bar , Medicine Alkene derivatives Carboxylate esters Cyclopentanes Isopropyl esters Novartis brands Ophthalmology drugs Prostaglandins Wikipedia medicine articles ready to translate Trifluoromethyl compounds Triols