Brinzolamide

Brinzolamide is a highly specific, non-competitive, reversible carbonic anhydrase II (CA-II) inhibitor indicated to reduce ocular pressure in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma. Although the exact pathophysiology of glaucoma is still unknown, one of the main hallmarks of this disease is vascular dysregulation and abnormalities. The resulting vascular resistance increases intraocular pressure, thus impairing ocular perfusion. Although systemic anti-carbonic anhydrase (CA) therapy has been used for almost 50 years with varying degrees of success, systemic administration results in an increase in incidences of adverse effects.

Brinzolamide was developed as a topical solution to the systemic side effects and dorzolamide, the first-ever approved topical CA inhibitor with contrasting results and evidence. Unlike dorzolamide, brinzolamide has a higher lipophilicity to facilitate diffusion across the blood-retinal barrier. Brinzolamide was approved by the FDA in 1998 as a standalone product and in 2013 as a combination product with brimonidine tartrate. In Europe, it was also approved as a combination product with timolol in 2008.