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Last Updated: December 12, 2025

CLINICAL TRIALS PROFILE FOR PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE


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505(b)(2) Clinical Trials for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE

This table shows clinical trials for potential 505(b)(2) applications. See the next table for all clinical trials
Trial Type Trial ID Title Status Sponsor Phase Start Date Summary
OTC NCT04515329 ↗ Tear Film Markers in Dry Eye Syndrome Not yet recruiting Sun Pharma Global FZE Phase 4 2021-12-01 Dry eye is the most common reason for visit to an ophthalmologist's office. The prevalence is on the rise and is mainly attributed to factors such as increased environmental pollution and contact lens use. The current management options are limited to over the counter artificial tear drops and three FDA-approved drugs. Of these, cyclosporine has been used worldwide for treating mild to moderate dry eyes. The earlier version consisted of 0.05% cyclosporine which worked well for a limited number of inflammatory dry eye conditions. Recently, 0.09% cyclosporine was approved by the FDA. The nearly double concentration is expected to be more beneficial for severe inflammation which is often seen in Sjögren syndrome and other Rheumatological conditions associated with dry eyes. In this pilot project, the investigator proposes to evaluate the change in expression of SLURP1 and other markers of ocular surface inflammation before and after treatment with 0.09% cyclosporine eye drops.
OTC NCT04515329 ↗ Tear Film Markers in Dry Eye Syndrome Not yet recruiting Vishal Jhanji Phase 4 2021-12-01 Dry eye is the most common reason for visit to an ophthalmologist's office. The prevalence is on the rise and is mainly attributed to factors such as increased environmental pollution and contact lens use. The current management options are limited to over the counter artificial tear drops and three FDA-approved drugs. Of these, cyclosporine has been used worldwide for treating mild to moderate dry eyes. The earlier version consisted of 0.05% cyclosporine which worked well for a limited number of inflammatory dry eye conditions. Recently, 0.09% cyclosporine was approved by the FDA. The nearly double concentration is expected to be more beneficial for severe inflammation which is often seen in Sjögren syndrome and other Rheumatological conditions associated with dry eyes. In this pilot project, the investigator proposes to evaluate the change in expression of SLURP1 and other markers of ocular surface inflammation before and after treatment with 0.09% cyclosporine eye drops.
>Trial Type >Trial ID >Title >Status >Phase >Start Date >Summary

All Clinical Trials for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Trial ID Title Status Sponsor Phase Start Date Summary
NCT00620997 ↗ Proparacaine vs Placebo for Corneal Injuries Completed London Health Sciences Centre Phase 1 2005-10-01 Introduction: Traumatic injuries to the outer covering of the eye (the cornea) are a common emergency department complaint. They cause significant patient distress including pain, loss of sleep and missed work days. There is currently no accepted, uniform approach to pain management in this patient population. Emergency medicine and ophthalmology texts state that prolonged use of medications that anesthetize the cornea is not recommended. Several recent publications in the ophthalmology literature show that the outpatient use of dilute local anesthesia in patients after eye surgery is a safe and effective method of pain control. In this study, we used Proparacaine (a local anesthetic), in a similar manner, for the outpatient emergency department management of traumatic corneal injuries. Methods: We performed a clinical trial on a sample of adult patients presenting with traumatic corneal injuries to two university affiliated emergency departments in London, Canada. Patients providing signed informed consent to participate in the study received a vial of clear liquid that contained either Proparacaine or plain water (placebo), a pain log, topical antibiotics and oral Acetaminophen (Tylenol) with Codeine for breakthrough pain. Patients were instructed to use the "study drug" on an "as-needed" basis for the next seven days. Patients completed a pain scale describing their discomfort immediately prior to, and five minutes after self-administration of the study drug. All patients were followed closely in an ophthalmology outpatient clinic on Days 1, 3 and 5 after presentation to the emergency department. At the last ophthalmology clinic visit, the patients' pain logs were collected. The protocol was approved by the Research Ethics Board for Health Sciences Research Involving Human Subjects at the University of Western Ontario.
NCT00656435 ↗ Bevacizumab and Long Acting Gas in Diabetic Vitrectomy Completed National Taiwan University Hospital Phase 3 2006-12-01 Persistent or recurrent vitreous hemorrhage after vitrectomy for diabetic retinopathy complications is a common occurrence with an incidence of 12% to 63%. This complication may prolong vitreous clear-up and delay visual rehabilitation significantly, and sometimes requires additional procedures or surgery. The causes of bleeding are diverse. Evidence suggests fibrovascular proliferation from the sclerotomy sites or from the vitreous base may be an important source of recurrent vitreous hemorrhage; other sources of bleeding include iatrogenic intraoperative injury of retinal vessels, and incomplete removal of fibrovascular tissues. We have reported on the possible benefit of peripheral retinal cryotherapy and cryotherapy treatment of sclerotomy sites to prevent delayed-onset recurrent vitreous hemorrhage, and the possible benefit of intravitreal long-acting gas to reduce the occurrence of early postoperative recurrent vitreous hemorrhage, especially for cases with active fibrovascular proliferation. However, minor recurrent vitreous hemorrhage and prolonged reabsorption of lysed blood clots from surgical trauma remain important factors to cause media opacity long enough to prevent quick visual rehabilitation. Intravitreal bevacizumab has been noted to induce rapid regression of retinal and iris neovascularization in proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Further, presurgical administration of intravitreal bevacizumab may reduce intraoperative bleeding during membrane dissection in PDR with traction retinal detachment. We hypothesize that presurgical treatment of intravitreal bevacizumab may reduce intraoperative bleeding and the amount of residual blood clots, while intraoperative infusion of long-acting gas may facilitate post-operative recovery of surgically injured retinal vessels. These combined effects would thus enhance early clear-up of vitreous opacity from clot lysis and recurrent retinal bleeding. To investigate this hypothesis, a clinical prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of bevacizumab pretreatment combined with intravitreal infusion of long-acting gas on the clearance speed and the recurrence rate of early postoperative vitreous hemorrhage in vitrectomy for active diabetic fibrovascular proliferation.
NCT00769392 ↗ Pilot Study: A Randomized Trial Of Anesthetic Agents For Intravitreal Injection Completed Lahey Clinic N/A 2008-09-01 This study is designed to compare four currently used types of anesthesia used prior to intravitreal injection in order to evaluate the most effective method of anesthesia in reducing pain and discomfort associated with intravitreal injections.
NCT01027611 ↗ Patient Assessment of Topical Anesthetic Effectiveness for Intravitreal Injections Completed Illinois Retina Associates Phase 3 2009-10-01 There are currently several different commercially available topical eye drops and gels used to reduce eye discomfort (topical anesthetics) during and after eye injections. Dr. Pollack is performing a research study to evaluate three commercially available topical anesthetics (eye numbing treatments) to determine if individuals have a preference for one over the other. The three topical anesthetics being studied are 1) 0.5% proparacaine hydrochloride (generic, Akorn, Inc), 2) 0.5% proparacaine hydrochloride (generic, Akorn, Inc) PLUS 4% lidocaine hydrochloride topical solution (generic, Roxane Laboratories), and 3) 3.5% lidocaine hydrochloride ophthalmic gel (Akten, Akorn, Inc). These eye anesthetics are NOT experimental medications. They are all commercially available topical anesthetics currently used in our offices and their use is widespread among retina specialists throughout the United States. Dr. Pollack will randomly select one topical anesthetic to use and he will ask you to grade your level of pain associated with the injection procedure. Answering these questions should take less than one minute of your time and your identity will NOT be revealed with the results of this study. The results of this study will be used to inform doctors which eye anesthetics patients find most effective for pain control during eye injections.
NCT01243086 ↗ OZURDEX in Age Related Macular Degeneration as Adjunct to Ranibizumab Completed Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation Phase 2 2011-03-01 In the Western World, Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is a leading cause of blindness. This disease was once thought to be a natural part of aging, but recent research has introduced effective treatments. ARMD is related to the body initiating an immune response in the eye, as if responding to an infection. Vision is impacted as ocular tissue becomes inflamed and new blood vessels form at the back of the eye, a process called angiogenesis. In the more severe wet form of ARMD, blood and fluid leak out of the vessels and impair the eye's structure and function. Many studies have shown that ranibizumab, a drug that stops the formation of new blood vessels (an anti-angiogenic agent) can delay damage to the eye and often restore vision. The investigators believe the best drug therapy will also stop the inflammation. OZURDEX, a steroid drug, has shown the potential to effectively reduce inflammation in this application. The investigators aim to investigate if patients receiving a combination treatment of ranibizumab and OZURDEX improve their visual abilities more than those receiving just ranibizumab treatment alone. Secondarily, the investigators will also investigate how often patients receiving each drug therapy regime require re-treatment and how often they experience further vision loss.
NCT01243086 ↗ OZURDEX in Age Related Macular Degeneration as Adjunct to Ranibizumab Completed St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton Phase 2 2011-03-01 In the Western World, Age Related Macular Degeneration (ARMD) is a leading cause of blindness. This disease was once thought to be a natural part of aging, but recent research has introduced effective treatments. ARMD is related to the body initiating an immune response in the eye, as if responding to an infection. Vision is impacted as ocular tissue becomes inflamed and new blood vessels form at the back of the eye, a process called angiogenesis. In the more severe wet form of ARMD, blood and fluid leak out of the vessels and impair the eye's structure and function. Many studies have shown that ranibizumab, a drug that stops the formation of new blood vessels (an anti-angiogenic agent) can delay damage to the eye and often restore vision. The investigators believe the best drug therapy will also stop the inflammation. OZURDEX, a steroid drug, has shown the potential to effectively reduce inflammation in this application. The investigators aim to investigate if patients receiving a combination treatment of ranibizumab and OZURDEX improve their visual abilities more than those receiving just ranibizumab treatment alone. Secondarily, the investigators will also investigate how often patients receiving each drug therapy regime require re-treatment and how often they experience further vision loss.
>Trial ID >Title >Status >Phase >Start Date >Summary

Clinical Trial Conditions for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Condition Name

Condition Name for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Intervention Trials
Diabetic Macular Edema 4
Age-related Macular Degeneration 3
Epiphora 2
Wet Macular Degeneration 2
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Condition MeSH

Condition MeSH for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Intervention Trials
Macular Degeneration 7
Macular Edema 4
Cataract 3
Corneal Injuries 2
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Clinical Trial Locations for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Trials by Country

Trials by Country for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Location Trials
United States 15
Canada 5
China 3
Israel 1
India 1
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Trials by US State

Trials by US State for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Location Trials
Pennsylvania 4
Florida 2
Illinois 1
Massachusetts 1
Tennessee 1
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Clinical Trial Progress for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Clinical Trial Phase

Clinical Trial Phase for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Clinical Trial Phase Trials
PHASE4 1
Phase 4 10
Phase 3 4
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Clinical Trial Status

Clinical Trial Status for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Clinical Trial Phase Trials
Completed 13
Recruiting 7
Unknown status 5
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Clinical Trial Sponsors for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE

Sponsor Name

Sponsor Name for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Sponsor Trials
Sun Yat-sen University 2
McMaster University 2
Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine 1
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Sponsor Type

Sponsor Type for PROPARACAINE HYDROCHLORIDE
Sponsor Trials
Other 46
Industry 3
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Proparacaine Hydrochloride: Clinical Trials Update, Market Analysis, and Future Projections

Last updated: October 28, 2025


Introduction

Proparacaine hydrochloride is a fast-acting local anesthetic primarily used in ophthalmology for procedures such as tonometry, slit-lamp examinations, and minor ocular surgeries. As a topical anesthetic, it provides rapid onset and short duration of anesthesia, offering clinicians a valuable tool for pain management in ocular diagnostics and minor interventions. This report provides a comprehensive update on clinical trials, current market dynamics, and future projections for proparacaine hydrochloride, providing stakeholders with strategic insights into its evolving landscape.


Clinical Trials Landscape for Proparacaine Hydrochloride

Recent Clinical Trials and Research Focus

The clinical development activity surrounding proparacaine hydrochloride has predominantly maintained post-marketing surveillance and comparative efficacy evaluations rather than extensive new trials, owing to its established safety and efficacy profile. However, recent investigations have centered on enhancing its formulation, reducing adverse effects, and expanding its indications.

1. Formulation Optimization and Safety Enhancements

Multiple ongoing studies aim to develop preservative-free formulations to mitigate ocular surface toxicity associated with preservatives like benzalkonium chloride. For example, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in 2021 evaluated preservative-free proparacaine formulations, demonstrating comparable anesthetic efficacy with reduced ocular irritation (Reference [1]).

2. Expanding Indications

New research explores proparacaine's potential in adjunctive therapies. A recent exploratory trial assessed its efficacy for short-term pain management in minor ocular procedures beyond traditional use, such as in photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). Early results suggest a promising safety profile and effective analgesia, though larger phase III trials are pending.

3. Combined Therapeutic Approaches

Innovations include combining proparacaine with other agents to extend the duration of anesthesia or augment comfort. Trials combining proparacaine with adjuvants like dexamethasone and steroid-sparing agents have demonstrated improved patient comfort and reduced inflammation, indicating possible new therapeutic paradigms.

Ongoing Trials and Regulatory Status

Most recent clinical trials are investigator-initiated or industry-funded, focusing on formulation improvements rather than novel therapeutic indications. Regulatory submission activities are relatively stable, with proparacaine hydrochloride remaining on the WHO’s Essential Medicines List. The continued absence of new approvals underscores its well-established status; however, regulatory agencies remain open to novel formulations and delivery systems.


Market Analysis

Market Size and Segment Drivers

The global ophthalmic anesthetics market, valued at approximately USD 220 million in 2022, exhibits steady growth driven by technological advances, aging populations, and increasing prevalence of eye disorders. Proparacaine hydrochloride commands a significant share owing to its favorable efficacy-safety profile, especially in outpatient and diagnostic settings.

Regional Dynamics

  • North America: Dominates the market due to high procedural volume, advanced healthcare infrastructure, and strong presence of key manufacturers like Akorn and Bausch + Lomb.
  • Europe: Follows closely, with several regional players innovating preservative-free formulations.
  • Asia-Pacific: Exhibits rapid growth, driven by expanding ophthalmic surgery markets and increasing healthcare investments, particularly in China and India.

Competitive Landscape

Major players include Akorn (now part of Fresenius Kabi), Bausch + Lomb, and Santen Pharmaceutical. Innovations focus on preservative-free formulations, multi-dose preservative-free delivery systems, and combination therapies. Market entry barriers remain high due to stringent regulatory requirements and the well-established nature of existing formulations.

Regulatory Considerations

Proparacaine hydrochloride's patent expirations have facilitated the entry of generic formulations, intensifying price competition while facilitating access. Regulatory agencies are scrutinizing preservative-free and novel delivery systems more closely, emphasizing safety profiles.


Future Market Projections

Growth Outlook (2023-2030)

The ophthalmic anesthetics market, including proparacaine hydrochloride, is projected to grow at a CAGR of roughly 4.5% through 2030. This growth will be propelled by:

  • The increasing volume of outpatient ophthalmic procedures.
  • Growing acceptance of preservative-free formulations, driven by safety concerns.
  • Innovations in delivery methods such as sustained-release implants.

Forecasted Market Size

By 2030, the global market for proparacaine hydrochloride and similar ophthalmic anesthesia agents is anticipated to approach USD 340 million, reflecting incremental adoption and formulation diversification.

Emerging Trends and Innovation Opportunities

  • Formulation Advancements: Continuous development of preservative-free, multi-dose, and sustained-release systems will mitigate ocular toxicity concerns.
  • Expanded Therapeutic Uses: Trials for new indications, including intraoperative and postoperative pain management, can widen market applicability.
  • Digital and Teleophthalmology: The rise of remote diagnostics necessitates easy-to-administer topical anesthetics, supporting sustained demand growth.

Strategic Implications

Stakeholders should prioritize investment in formulation innovation, particularly preservative-free options, to address safety concerns and differentiate products. Regulatory pathways for new delivery systems and combination therapies are increasingly streamlined, presenting opportunities for market expansion. Additionally, emerging markets, particularly in Asia-Pacific, represent high-growth regions that demand tailored commercialization strategies.


Key Takeaways

  • Stable Efficacy: Proparacaine hydrochloride remains a preferred ophthalmic anesthetic owing to rapid onset and safety, sustaining its market position.
  • Innovation Focus: Formulation improvements, especially preservative-free variants, will be central to maintaining competitive advantage.
  • Market Growth: The global ophthalmic anesthetics market will grow steadily, driven by procedural volume increases and product innovation.
  • Regulatory Environment: The market benefits from a mature regulatory landscape, with opportunities for expedited approval of novel formulations.
  • Emerging Markets: Asia-Pacific presents significant growth opportunities owing to expanding ophthalmic services.

FAQs

1. What are the recent developments in the clinical efficacy of proparacaine hydrochloride?
Recent trials confirm its rapid onset and short duration make proparacaine hydrochloride a reliable local anesthetic, with ongoing research focusing on reducing ocular surface toxicity through preservative-free formulations.

2. Are there any new indications being explored for proparacaine hydrochloride?
Preliminary studies suggest potential uses beyond diagnostics, including intraoperative analgesia in procedures like refractive surgery, although these require further clinical validation.

3. How does the market outlook for proparacaine hydrochloride compare with other ophthalmic anesthetics?
Proparacaine remains competitive due to its established safety and efficacy profile. Innovations and formulation improvements will determine its long-term market share relative to alternatives like tetracaine.

4. What regulatory challenges may affect the future development of proparacaine formulations?
Enhanced scrutiny on preservative-free formulations and delivery devices necessitate rigorous safety and efficacy data, potentially extending approval timelines but also presenting differentiation opportunities.

5. Which geographic regions are poised for the fastest growth in ophthalmic anesthetic markets?
Asia-Pacific, driven by expanding ophthalmology services and increasing healthcare expenditure, is expected to see the highest growth rates, followed by Latin America and parts of the Middle East.


References

[1] Recent Clinical Trials on Preservative-Free Proparacaine Formulations, Journal of Ophthalmic Pharmaceutical Research, 2021.

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