Alcon, Inc.'s TRAVATAN(R) Z Solution Approved By FDA For Treatment Of Glaucoma And Ocular Hypertensive Patients

Alcon, Inc.'s TRAVATAN(R) Z Solution Approved By FDA For Treatment Of Glaucoma And Ocular Hypertensive Patients

Sept. 21, 2006--Alcon, Inc. (NYSE:ACL - News) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TRAVATAN® Z (travoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.004% for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, who are intolerant of or insufficiently responsive to other intraocular pressure lowering medications. TRAVATAN® Z is a new formulation that eliminates benzalkonium chloride (BAK) from Alcon's existing TRAVATAN® solution and replaces BAK with SOFZIA(TM), a robust ionic buffered preservative system that is gentle to the ocular surface. Alcon developed this BAK-free version of TRAVATAN® because long-term use of topical solutions containing BAK may compromise the ocular surface and exacerbate conditions such as dry eye.

"Because almost 40 percent of glaucoma patients suffer from Ocular Surface Disease, TRAVATAN® Z is an advance in therapy which we believe will now enable doctors to address an unmet need of many glaucoma patients," said Kevin Buehler, Alcon's senior vice president, United States and chief marketing officer.


BAK is an anti bacterial preservative that is in most IV bags and sterile solutions. I use it in the lab to preserve western blot antibody solutions that are diluted in milk. I also use it to sterilize my cell incubators
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