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Basic Drug Info

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Drug Name:	BETAGAN
Manufacturer:	Allergan, Inc.
Other Info:	While taking beta-blockers, patients with a history of severe anaphylactic reactions to a variety of allergens may be more reactive to repeated challenge, either accidental, diagnostic, or therapeutic. Such patients may be unresponsive to the usual doses of epinephrine used to treat allergic reactions.

Clinical Trials:	NIH - Clinical Trials

Indications and Usage

BETAGAN® ophthalmic solution has been shown to be effective in lowering intraocular pressure and may be used in patients with chronic open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

Ocular hypotony -- Abnormally low intraocular pressure often related to chronic inflammation (uveitis).

Ocular Hypertension -- A condition in which the intraocular pressure is elevated above normal and which may lead to glaucoma.

Contraindications

BETAGAN® ophthalmic solution is contraindicated in those individuals with bronchial asthma, or with a history of bronchial asthma, or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (see WARNINGS); sinus bradycardia; second and third degree atrioventricular block; overt cardiac failure (see WARNINGS); cardiogenic shock; or hypersensitivity to any component of these products.

Asthma -- A form of bronchial disorder with three distinct components: airway hyper-responsiveness (RESPIRATORY HYPERSENSITIVITY), airway INFLAMMATION, and intermittent AIRWAY OBSTRUCTION. It is characterized by spasmodic contraction of airway smooth muscle, WHEEZING, and dyspnea (DYSPNEA, PAROXYSMAL).

Complete atrioventricular block -- Complete failure of atrial electrical impulse conduction through the AV node to the ventricles.

Heart failure -- inability of the heart to pump blood at an adequate rate to fill tissue metabolic requirements or the ability to do so only at an elevated filling pressure.

Cardiogenic shock -- Shock resulting from diminution of cardiac output in heart disease.

Hypersensitivity -- Altered reactivity to an antigen, which can result in pathologic reactions upon subsequent exposure to that particular antigen.

Warnings

As with other topically applied ophthalmic drugs, BETAGAN® may be absorbed systemically.

The same adverse reactions found with systemic administration of beta-adrenergic blocking agents may occur with topical administration.

For example, severe respiratory reactions and cardiac reactions, including death due to bronchospasm in patients with asthma, and rarely death in association with cardiac failure, have been reported with topical application of beta-adrenergic blocking agents [See CONTRAINDICATIONS].