Personal Injury Law

FDA Approves Latisse Eyelash Drug

By Chrissie Cole

The first drug to promote eyelash growth has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will be available for prescription the first half of 2009.

Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution), approved for hypotrichosis, contains the active ingredient of the glaucoma drug Lumigan – both of which are made by Allergan.

Eyelash hypotrichosis is another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes.

A known side effect of the drug Lumigan is eyelash growth. But Latisse and Lumigan are applied differently. While Latisse gets applied along the lash line on the upper eyelid, Lumigan is an eyedrop.

“Latisse users can expect longer, thicker and darker lashes in as little as eight weeks, will full results in 16 weeks,” Allergan states. If Latisse is stopped, eyelashes will slowly return to their previous appearance.

Latisse may cause some darkening of the eyelid skin which may be reversible. Although not reported in clinical trials, Latisse “may cause increased brown pigmentation of the colored part of the eye, which is most likely permanent,” reports the company.

It is possible for hair growth to occur in other areas of your skin that Latisse frequently touches. Any excess solution should be blotted with a tissue to prevent this from happening.

Well-tolerated in its clinical trials, the most common side effects of Latisse are itchy eyes and/or eye redness. Less common side effects include dryness of the eyes, redness of the eyelids and skin hyperpigmentation (darkening of an area of skin), according to Allergan.

An FDA advisory panel, earlier this month, recommended that the FDA approve Latisse and also suggested post-approval studies on certain patient populations, including patients of younger age and post-chemotherapy patients with loss of eyelashes. #

Full post as published by InjuryBoard on December 28, 2008 (boomark / email).