Allergan’s Glaucoma Eye Drop Wins FDA Approval

Allergan Pharmaceuticals Inc. said it has received federal Food and Drug Administration approval for a new eye drop for treatment of glaucoma. The Irvine-based company claims its product can save sufferers of the eye disease as much as 60% of the cost of the current leading eye drop treatment.

Like other glaucoma drops, the new drug reduces pressure in the eye by inhibiting the production of fluid, said a spokeswoman for SmithKline Beckman Corp., Allergan’s Philadelphia-based parent. However, because the drop, dubbed “Betagen,” is applied only once a day--compared with twice-a-day applications for other drops--it may save patients as much as $150 a year, she said.

The spokeswoman said the company has not yet determined its potential market for the drop, but already is marketing it nationally. An estimated 5 million to 6 million Americans suffer from some form of glaucoma, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Left untreated, the disease can lead to blindness.