Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating this drug has the side effect of growing your eyelashes

  • this drug has the side effect of growing your eyelashes

    Posted by Derya on October 3, 2017 at 3:42 am

    I overheard the chemist who said to the customer “oh yeah Xalatan eye drops makes your eye lashes grow.”

    Instantly the wishful thought of “oh if I were only a gifted chemist who could use this knowledge and tweak the medication only to use the part that makes the eye lashes grow. I can’t do it but can any of you? 

    Sure enough the customers who are prescribed this agreed and yes they are well lashed!!!!

    Derya replied 6 years, 7 months ago 4 Members · 10 Replies
  • 10 Replies
  • Doreen

    Member
    October 3, 2017 at 10:16 am

    You can’t, it’s a prostaglandine (a hormone), you can’t just simply ‘tweak’ it to get the wanted side effects. Strictly speaking, medicines have no side effects. All the effects are properties of that certain substance. We call it ‘side’ effects because they are not the main goal and undesired in general.

  • OldPerry

    Member
    October 3, 2017 at 2:30 pm

    Plus if it could be done, it would have already been done. Scientists have known about this technology for decades.

  • Derya

    Member
    October 5, 2017 at 8:45 am

    Hi

    Doreen theres also benzalkonium chloride in xalatan, a cosmetic ingredient also, found a website with a forum 

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/optrex-eye-drops-containing-benzalkonium-chloride-144872  

    and  http://www.fegeyelashes.com/products/

    maybe this maybe of some help to some formulators??  Thanks Perry and participators for the great forum.

  • Doreen

    Member
    October 5, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    Benzalkonium is a common preservative in eyedrops. What about it?

  • Microformulation

    Member
    October 5, 2017 at 3:15 pm

    Ok, this is already being done, but it is not a Cosmetic or even an OTC product. It is a legend drug and requires a prescription. The Prostaglandins for the reduction of intraocular pressure were long known to increase the growth of lashes. One prostaglandin, bimatoprost was approved for just this indication. The other prostaglandins can be used for the same indication but it is rare. First, the MD has to theoretically be able to show that the product is safe and effective in the orphan indication through Journal citations. Secondly, since Latisse is already marketed for that, there has not been evidence to show that any prostaglandin is better than the other and lastly Latisse has lots of marketing and educational support for the patient, why do it?

    Ultimately you have identified an opportunity that was already capitalized upon in the early 2000’s.

  • Doreen

    Member
    October 5, 2017 at 8:09 pm

    @Microformulation
    Exactly. Like latanoprost (Xalatan®), bimatoprost is just another prostaglandin F analogue. The only difference is the approval for an indication besides just glaucoma.

  • Microformulation

    Member
    October 5, 2017 at 8:55 pm

    @Doreen81 Exactly. The phenomenon has been recognized and capitalized on since the mid-2000’s.  Now we can scare people with it’s weird side effect of sometimes changing the color of the iris.

  • Doreen

    Member
    October 5, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    @Microformulation
    Now we can scare people with it’s weird side effect of sometimes changing the color of the iris. 

    True! I’ve seen pictures of patients suffering from these side effects. Like they were severely beaten. Discoloration of eyelids/orbital skin. Many people don’t seem to comprehend that most of these changes are irriversible. And these are only aesthetic problems. What about:

    “Periorbital fat atrophy” — a hollowed eye look from deepened upper eyelid sulci and reduced lower eyelid fullness that screams for a cosmetic fix itself — is attributed to Latisse. See you at the gala! 

    Lattise users also risk eye redness and irritation, inflammation called uveitis, macular edema, cataract, reduced intraocular pressure — the action that makes it a glaucoma drug — and vision problems. Contact lenses and the applicator can become contaminated and prostaglandin analogs can reactivate herpes simplex keratitis. 

    The end point of the increase in iridial pigmentation in affected patients is not known.” Not too comforting when the pigment granules that are altered are known to be involved in the routing of optic nerves, protection from oxidative stress and protein degradation! 
    Link

  • Microformulation

    Member
    October 5, 2017 at 9:33 pm

    Years ago there was a mad rush on Cosmetic Products which used Myristoyl pentapeptide-17 (I think and I can’t remember the trade name, all my old files are archived). They were no whereas effective and were generally formulated with some oils. I know that Marketing had to walk a very thin line to avoid encroaching on a drug claim and if I recall correctly the FDA had a field day with Warning letters.
     

  • Derya

    Member
    October 6, 2017 at 11:41 pm

    As the saying goes “Well you live & Learn” 
    Now I understand.
    Thank you Doreen, Mark and Perry

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