Abstract
Objective
The objective of this review is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tafluprost, a fluoroprostaglandin receptor analog, for reduction of intraocular pressure in open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
Methods
A search of published literature was performed on the PubMed database using the search term “tafluprost.” The literature search identified 48 publications, including clinical and preclinical studies, from 2003 to 2011. From these ressults, articles available in the English language and in full text were selected and systematically reviewed by the authors.
Results
Recent studies have shown that tafluprost is an effective IOP-lowering medication. Evidence based medicine also reveals that tafluprost is safe and well-tolerated. Preservative-free tafluprost is as potent as the preserved formulation, but with fewer and milder ocular surface side effects.
Conclusion
Since its introduction in 2008, initial studies have demonstrated that preserved and preservative-free tafluprost formulations have proven efficacy and safety in the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to assess long-term safety, efficacy, and tolerability compared with other prostaglandin analogs used for treating glaucoma.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
AGIS Investigators. The Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS): 7. The relationship between control of intraocular pressure and visual field deterioration. Am J Ophthalmol. 2000;130:429–440.
Heijl A, Leske MC, Bengtsson B, et al. Reduction of intraocular pressure and glaucoma progression: results from the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial. Arch Ophthalmol. 2002;120:1268–1279.
Kass MA, Heuer DK, Higginbotham EJ, et al. The Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study: a randomized trial determines that topical ocular hypotensive medication delays or prevents the onset of primary open-angle glaucoma. Arch Ophthalmol. 2002;120:701–713.
Leske MC, Heijl A, Hyman L, et al. Factors for progression and glaucoma treatment: the Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2004;15:102–106.
Nakajima T, Matsugi T, Goto W, et al. New fluoroprostaglandin F2a derivatives with prostanoid FP-receptor agonistic activity as potent ocular hypotensive agents. Biol Pharm Bull. 2003;26:1691–1695.
Takagi Y, Nakajima T, Shimazaki A, et al. Pharmacological characteristics of AFP-168 (tafluprost), a new prostanoid receptor FP agonist, as an ocular hypotensive drug. Exp Eye Res. 2004;78:767–776.
Hamacher T, Airaksinen J, Saarela V, et al. Efficacy and safety levels of preserved and preservativefree tafluprost are equivalent in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension: results from a pharmacodynamics analysis. Acta Ophthalmol Suppl (Oxf). 2008;242:S14–S19.
Sutton A, Gilvarry A, Ropo A. A comparative placebocontrolled study of prostanoid fluoroprostaglandin receptor agonist tafluprost and latanoprost in healthy males. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2007;23:359–365.
Sutton A, Gouws P, Ropo A. Tafluprost a new potent prostanoid receptor agonist: a dose-response study on pharmacodynamics and tolerability in healthy volunteers. Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2008;46:400–406.
Uusitalo H, Kaarniranta K, Ropo A. Pharmacokinetics, efficacy and safety of preserved and preservative-free tafluprost in healthy volunteers. Acta Ophthalmol Suppl (Oxf). 2008;242:S7–S13.
Aihara M. Clinical appraisal of tafluprost in the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Clin Ophthalmol. 2010;4:163–170.
Fukano Y, Kawazu K. Disposition and metabolism of a novel prostanoid antiglaucoma medication, tafluprost, following ocular administration to rats. Drug Metab Dispos. 2009;37:1622–1634.
Sharif NA, Kelly CR, Crider JY, et al. Ocular hypotensive FP prostaglandin (PG) analogs: PG receptor subtype binding affinities and selectivities, and agonist potencies at FP and other PG receptors in cultured cells. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2003;19:501–515.
Kurashima H, Asai Y, Aihara M, Ishida N, Nakamura M, Araie M. Ocular hypotensive effect of tafluprost in latanoprost low-responder cynomolgus monkeys. J Glaucoma. 2011. Epub ahead of print.
Ota T, Murata H, Sugimoto E, et al. Prostaglandin analogues and mouse intraocular pressure: Effects of tafluprost, latanoprost, travoprost, and unoprostone, considering 24 hour variation. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005;46:2006–2011.
Ota T, Aihara M, Saeki T, et al. The IOP-lowering effects and mechanism of action of tafluprost in prostanoid receptor-deficient mice. Br J Ophthalmol. 2007;91:673–676.
Akaishi T, Odani-Kawabada N, Ishida N, et al. Ocular hypotensive effects of anti-glaucoma agents in mice. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2009;25:401–408.
Grieshaber MC, Flammer J. Blood flow in glaucoma. Curr Opin Ophthalmol. 2005;16:79–83.
Michelson G, Langhans MJ, Groh, MJ. Perfusion of the juxtapapillary retina and the neuroretinal rim area in primary open angle glaucoma. J Glaucoma. 1996;5:91–98.
Yamazaki Y, Hayamizu F. Comparison of flow velocity of ophthalmic artery between primary open angle glaucoma and normal tension glaucoma. Br J Ophthalmol. 1995;79;732–734.
Findl O, Rainer G, Dallinger S, et al. Assessment of optic disk blood flow in patients with open-angle glaucoma. Am J Ophthalmol. 2000;130:589–596.
Grunwald JE, Piltz J, Hariprasad SM, et al. Optic nerve and choroidal circulation in glaucoma. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1998:39;2329-2336.
Izumi N, Nagaoka T, Sato E, et al. Short-term effects of topical tafluprost on retinal blood flow in cats. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2008;24:21–526.
Akaishi T, Kutrashima H, Odani-Kaeabata N, et al. Effects of repeated administration of tafluprost, latanoprost, and travoprost on optic nerve blood flow in conscious normal rabbits. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2010;26:181–186.
Dong Y, Watabe H, Su G, et al. Relaxing effect and mechanism of tafluprost on isolated rabbit ciliary arteries. Exp Eye Res. 2008;87:251–256.
Kurashima H, Watabe H, Sato N, Abe S, Ishida N, Yoshitomi T. Effects of prostaglandin PGF2 analogues on endothelin-1-induced impairment of rabbit ocular blood flow: comparison among tafluprost, travoprost, and latanoprost. Exp Eye Res. 2010;91:853–859.
Mayama C, Ishii K, Saeki T, et al. Effects of topical phenylephrine and tafluprost on optic nerve head circulation in monkeys with unilateral experimental glaucoma. Invest Ophthamol Vis Sci. 2010;51:4117–4124.
Kanamori A, Naka M, Fukuda M, et al. Tafluprost protects rat retinal ganglion cells from apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2009;247:1353–1360.
Bull ND, Johnson TV, Welsapar G, et al. Use of an adult retinal explant model for screening of potential retinal ganglion cell neuroprotective therapies. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2011;52:3309–3320.
Burstein NL. Preservative alteration of corneal permeability in humans and rabbits. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1984;25:1453–1457.
Majumdar S, Hippalgaonkar K, Repka MA. Effect of chilosan, benzalkonium chloride and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid on permeation of acyclovir across isolated rabbit cornea. Int J Pharm. 2008;348:175–178.
Pellinen P, Lokkila J. Corneal penetration into rabbit aqueous humor is comparable between preserved and preservative-free tafluprost. Ophthalmic Res. 2009;41:118–122.
Brasnu E, Brignole-Baudouin F, Riancho L, et al. In vitro effects of preservative-free tafluprost and preserved latanoprost, travoprost, and bimatoprost in a conjunctival epithelial cell line. Curr Eye Res. 2008;33:303–312.
Liang H, Baudouin C, Pauly A, et al. Conjunctival and corneal reactions in rabbits following short- and repeated exposure to preservative-free tafluprost, commercially available latanoprost and 0.02% benzalkonium chloride. Br J Ophthalmol. 2008;92:1275–1282.
Traverso CE, Ropo A, Papadia M, et al. A Phase II study on the duration and stability of the intraocular pressure-lowering effect and tolerability of tafluprost compared with latanoprost. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2010;26:97–104.
Uusitalo H, Pillunat LE, Ropo A. Efficacy and safety of tafluprost 0.0015% versus latanoprost 0.005% eye drops in open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension: 24-month results of a randomized, double-masked Phase III study. Acta Ophthalmol. 2010;88:12–19.
Schnober D, Hofmann G, Maier H, Scherzer ML, Ogundele AB, Jasek MC. Diurnal IOP-lowering efficacy and safety of travoprost 0.004% compared with tafluprost 0.0015% in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Clin Ophthalmol. 2010;8:1459–1463.
Uusitalo H, Chen E, Pfeiffer N, et al. Switching from a preserved to a preservative-free prostaglandin preparation in topical glaucoma medication. Acta Ophthalmol. 2010;88:329–336.
Hommer A, Mohammed RO, Burchert M, Kimmich F. IOP-lowering efficacy and tolerability of preservative-free tafluprost 0.0015% among patients with ocular hypertension or glaucoma. Curr Med Res Opin. 2010;26:1905–1913.
Erb C, Lanzl I, Seidova SF, Kimmich F. Preservativefree tafluprost 0.0015% in the treatment of patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Avd Ther. 2011;28:575–585.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pantcheva, M.B., Seibold, L.K., Awadallah, N.S. et al. Tafluprost: a novel prostaglandin analog for treatment of glaucoma. Adv Therapy 28, 707–715 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-011-0055-8
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-011-0055-8