How Ripasudil Helps to Target Glaucoma

Ripasudil is a drug that is released in the form of eye drops that can help to combat glaucoma, ocular hypertension, and some other diseases. Doctors prescribe it to patients when alternatives fail to achieve the desired result or when people can't take alternatives because of side effects or for other reasons. Consumers can purchase it in many countries under the Glanatec brand name.

Detailed Mechanism of Action

Ripasudil improves drainage in the eyes, enabling fluid to flow out more easily. As a consequence, intraocular pressure goes down and glaucoma becomes less pronounced. The patient can notice the initial results within a few hours after applying the drops. However, the effect will reach its peak in a few days.

The right way of using this drug is applying one drop twice per day. It's important to avoid touching the eye directly with the eyedropper tip. Patients who need to combine Ripasudil with other drops should wait for at least 5 minutes before applying another medication.

Ripasudil might cause side effects. If a person complains of stinging or blurred vision, these are classified as mild symptoms. In such a situation, it's better to simply wait until the negative effects subside. Some individuals report more severe side effects, such as allergic reactions, vision changes, or eye pain. In this case, they should stop using the drug immediately and consult a medical professional.

ATTENTION: Pregnant and breastfeeding ladies should avoid Ripasudil. Besides, it's not compatible with soft contact lenses.

ROCK Inhibition Process

Ripasudil is a Rho kinase inhibitor or, alternatively speaking, a Rho-associated coiled/coil-containing kinase protein (ROCK) inhibitor. Rho kinase or ROCK is an enzyme from the serine/threonine kinase family which is involved in the regulation of the functions of almost all body cells. In particular, it can be found in the iris, retina, trabecular meshwork, and ciliary muscles. It is responsible for smooth muscle contractions, chemotaxis, neural growth, gene expression, and other physiological functions.

Glaucome and other diseases that deteriorate eyesight are characterized by atypical regulation of ROCK levels. Ripasudil targets ROCK in a highly selective and powerful manner, bringing it back to normal.

Clinical Studies and Research

Clinical studies and research about Ripasudil have been going on for years. Most experts are unanimous about this drug's potential and recommend it to patients.

For instance, in 2020, a team of Japanese scientists published an article on the safety and efficacy of Ripasudil. Over 3,000 patients from Japan took part in the research. The ratio of male and female participants was nearly 1:1 and their mean age was 69 years. All of them had been diagnosed with some kind of glaucoma — in total, three variations of the disease were included in the observation. The results showed that thanks to taking Ripasudil for a full year, the patients managed to significantly reduce their intraocular pressure regardless of their glaucoma variation. To get rid of the symptoms, people can either rely on this drug only or combine it with other medications.

Scholars have confirmed that Ripasudil can prevent excessive scarring after glaucoma filtration surgery. It's a proven fact that the drug doesn't impact respiratory or neurological function.

ATTENTION: The medical community needs more research to confirm that Ripasudil doesn't provoke cancer. However, this drug doesn't stay long inside the organism because it's cleared by the kidneys. That's why it's unlikely to create the risks of oncological diseases.

Many research papers about Ripasudil can be found online and their number is growing. Now, scholars are investigating its potential to target other diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular oedema. The results should become available soon.

Scientific Evidence of Effectiveness

Since Ripasudil is a relatively new drug, it needs time to gain global recognition. The first country to approve it for sale was Japan in Autumn 2014. Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, the UK, the USA, and several other states followed suit. Approval details may vary by country.

Every year, new articles go live that provide scientific evidence of Ripasudil's effectiveness. Today, this drug is not perceived as an experimental novelty anymore. It would be logical to assume that in the foreseeable future, more states will approve it for sale, based on the extensive evidence of its effectiveness.