Brinzolamide/brimonidine
Brinzolamide/brimonidine, sold under the brand name Simbrinza, is a fixed-dose combination medication used to reduce intra-ocular pressure in adults with ocular hypertension or in those with an eye condition known as open-angle glaucoma. It contains brinzolamide and brimonidine tartrate. It is used as an eye drop.
The most common side effects include ocular hyperaemia, allergic reactions in the eye, and dysgeusia.
Open-angle glaucoma and other causes of high pressure in the eye increase the risk of damage to the retina and the optic nerve. This can result in serious vision loss and even blindness.
The active substances, brinzolamide and brimonidine tartrate, help to reduce intra-ocular pressure by reducing the production of aqueous humour. Brinzolamide works by blocking an enzyme called carbonic anhydrase, which produces bicarbonate needed for the production of the aqueous humour, while brimonidine tartrate blocks another enzyme known as adenylate cyclase, which is also involved in the production of the aqueous humour. Brimonidine also increases the drainage of aqueous humour from the front of the eye.
Brinzolamide/brimonidine was approved for medical use in the United States in April 2013, and in the European Union in July 2014.