Prescription medication · Prostaglandin Analog (Ophthalmic)
latanoprost
Also sold as Xalatan. Latanoprost eye drops are used to lower high pressure in your eyes.
Data updated 2026-05-15
- 48,513
- FDA reportsOften reported
- 1
- InteractionFew interactions
- 99% less
- Generic vs brandHuge savings
- 1
- Recall record
What the data shows
latanoprost (Xalatan) is a prescription Prostaglandin Analog (Ophthalmic), reported at a middle-of-the-pack volume (48,513 FDA reports), whose generic costs a fraction of the brand (about 99% less).
Reporting volume reflects how widely a drug is used and studied, not how dangerous it is, a FAERS report documents a temporal association, never proof of cause.
latanoprost (Xalatan) is a prescription Prostaglandin Analog (Ophthalmic). Latanoprost eye drops are used to lower high pressure in your eyes.
Latanoprost eye drops help lower pressure inside your eye. It is used if you have open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
Verify with FDA → · CMS NADAC pricing →
Drug Pricing (NADAC)
Brand Price
$101.71/unit
Generic Price
$1.30/unit
Generic Savings
99%
Generic Available
Yes (8 manufacturers)
Pricing data from NADAC (CMS), effective December 18, 2024. Compare all drug costs →
What it does
Latanoprost eye drops are used to lower high pressure in your eyes.
Common side effects
Blurred vision, Burning or stinging, Redness of the eye
Key warnings
Latanoprost can cause your iris (the colored part of your eye), eyelid, and eyelashes to get darker.
The sections below are summarized in plain English from latanoprost's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.
How It Works
Latanoprost is like a natural substance in your body. It works by helping fluid drain better from inside your eye. This lowers the pressure in your eye.
How to Take It
Use one drop in the affected eye(s) once a day in the evening. Do not use more than one drop daily. If you use other eye drops, wait at least 5 minutes before using them. Remove contact lenses before using latanoprost, and wait 15 minutes before putting them back in.
This is a plain-language summary of latanoprost's FDA labeling, not individualized dosing advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before changing how you take this medication.
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
It is not known if latanoprost is safe to use during pregnancy. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding.
This is a plain-language summary of latanoprost's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber about pregnancy or breastfeeding on this medication.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, continue with your next dose as normal. Do not use a double dose to make up for the missed one.
This is a plain-language summary of latanoprost's FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber what to do about your specific missed dose.
Storage
Keep unopened bottles in the refrigerator. Once opened, store at room temperature away from light and use within 6 weeks.
Side Effects (from patient reports)
Based on 48,513 FDA adverse event reports.
Most-reported reactions
Adverse reactions in FAERS for latanoprost, by number of reports
- The medicine is not working
The medicine is not working
5,915 reports
- Tiredness 2,228
Tiredness
2,228 reports
- Eye feels sore or scratchy 2,190
Eye feels sore or scratchy
2,190 reports
- Pressure inside the eye increased 1,769
Pressure inside the eye increased
1,769 reports
- Headache 1,737
Headache
1,737 reports
- Shortness of breath 1,600
Shortness of breath
1,600 reports
- Death 1,592
Death
1,592 reports
- Eye pain 1,591
Eye pain
1,591 reports
- Feeling dizzy 1,569
Feeling dizzy
1,569 reports
- Diarrhea 1,566
Diarrhea
1,566 reports
What this shows Bars show how often each reaction was reported, not how likely it is to happen, a report records a temporal association, never proof that the drug caused it.
Reports over time
Adverse-event reports filed for latanoprost each year to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).
Year-to-year volume tracks usage, prescribing, and scrutiny, not a change in per-patient risk. Source: FDA FAERS.
Where latanoprost sits
latanoprost has more FDA adverse-event reports than 73% of the drugs FAERS tracks. A high position reflects how widely a drug is used and watched, not how dangerous it is.
Percentile across all drugs PlainMeds tracks by FAERS report volume. The dot is latanoprost; the line is the median (50th percentile).
FDA Adverse Event Report Analysis
Detailed analysis of 48,513 reports from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Reports span 2004–2025.
Total Reports
48,513
Reports Mentioning Death
3,096
6.4% of reports — not proof of cause
Hospitalization Reports
10,102
Top Indication
Product Used For Unknown Indication
Gender Distribution
Age Distribution
Most Reported Adverse Reactions (FAERS)
| # | Reaction | Reports |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | TREATMENT FAILURE | 5,915 |
| 3 | FATIGUE | 2,228 |
| 4 | EYE IRRITATION | 2,189 |
| 5 | INTRAOCULAR PRESSURE INCREASED | 1,768 |
| 6 | HEADACHE | 1,737 |
| 7 | DYSPNOEA | 1,600 |
| 8 | EYE PAIN | 1,591 |
| 9 | DEATH | 1,590 |
| 10 | DIZZINESS | 1,569 |
| 11 | DIARRHOEA | 1,565 |
| 12 | NAUSEA | 1,523 |
| 14 | VISION BLURRED | 1,456 |
| 15 | FALL | 1,391 |
| 16 | CATARACT | 1,364 |
| 17 | GLAUCOMA | 1,330 |
Reactions in Death Reports
Reactions in Hospitalization Reports
Source: FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) FDA FAERS (Adverse Event Reporting System) Reports are voluntary and do not establish causation
Serious Warnings
Latanoprost can cause your iris (the colored part of your eye), eyelid, and eyelashes to get darker. The iris color change may be permanent. Eyelash changes, like increased length and thickness, are usually reversible when you stop using the medicine. Use with caution if you have a history of eye inflammation or herpes keratitis.
Known Drug Interactions
The combined use of two or more prostaglandins or prostaglandin analogs including latanoprost ophthalmic solution 0.005% is not recommended.
Mechanism: Both drugs are in the same family and work the same way. Using more than one at a time can actually make them less effective at lowering eye pressure.
What to do: You should not use these two eye drops together. Your doctor will likely have you use just one of these medications.
This is a plain-language summary of interactions documented in FDA labeling, not individualized advice. Ask a pharmacist or prescriber before combining medications.
Common Questions
Can latanoprost change my eye color?
Can latanoprost make my eyelashes grow longer?
Can I use latanoprost with my contact lenses?
What should I do if I experience eye irritation after using latanoprost?
Can I use latanoprost more than once a day to lower my eye pressure faster?
How long does it take for latanoprost to start working?
What if I accidentally get latanoprost on my skin?
Can I use latanoprost if I have a history of herpes simplex keratitis?
Does latanoprost have any effect on freckles or moles in the iris?
What should I do if I am using other eye drops?
What are the common side effects of latanoprost?
Does latanoprost interact with other medications?
What drug class is latanoprost?
Is there a generic version of latanoprost?
Is latanoprost safe during pregnancy?
Has latanoprost been recalled?
Active Recalls
Failed Release Testing: Out of specification for particulate matter test.
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What the FDA Data Shows for latanoprost
The FDA label for latanoprost (sold under brand names such as Xalatan) classifies it as a prescription-only medication in the Prostaglandin Analog (Ophthalmic) class. Latanoprost eye drops are used to lower high pressure in your eyes. Official labeling lists 7 commonly reported side effects, including Blurred vision, Burning or stinging, Redness of the eye.
Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. For this drug, FAERS contains 48,513 voluntary reports. The database also lists 1 documented drug interaction derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. NADAC pricing from CMS shows a generic unit cost of $1.30 versus $101.71 for the brand - a 99% generic savings.
Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history (currently 1 recall record on file), and patent information further shape supply and switching decisions. This page summarizes public FDA data for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult a licensed healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.
Data Sources
Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pricing: CMS National Average Drug Acquisition Cost (NADAC).
FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. Always consult a healthcare professional before making medication decisions.
Last updated: November 29, 2024
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FDA Orange Book - approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence. accessdata.fda.gov/cder/ob
- FDA DailyMed - NIH-hosted drug labeling for FDA-approved meds. dailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) - post-marketing safety surveillance. fda.gov/drugs/faers
- NLM RxNorm - standardized clinical drug nomenclature. nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/rxnorm
- CMS Medicare Part B Drug Average Sales Price Files - federal drug pricing data. cms.gov/medicare/part-b-drugs/asp
- FDA Drug Shortages Database - current and resolved drug shortage tracking. accessdata.fda.gov/drugshortages