{"id":"benzalkonium-chloride-bak","safety":{"commonSideEffects":[{"rate":null,"effect":"Ocular irritation (when used in eye drops)"},{"rate":null,"effect":"Conjunctival hyperemia"},{"rate":null,"effect":"Allergic contact dermatitis (topical exposure)"},{"rate":null,"effect":"Corneal toxicity (at high concentrations)"}]},"_chembl":null,"_dailymed":null,"mechanism":{"_ai_source":"claude-haiku-4.5","explanation":"BAK functions as a cationic surfactant that penetrates and destabilizes the lipid bilayer of microbial cell membranes, leading to leakage of cellular contents and cell death. It is widely used as a preservative in ophthalmic solutions, topical formulations, and other pharmaceutical products to prevent microbial contamination. BAK also exhibits some anti-inflammatory properties in certain contexts.","oneSentence":"Benzalkonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium compound that disrupts bacterial and fungal cell membranes, exerting antimicrobial and preservative effects.","_ai_confidence":"high"},"_scrapedAt":"2026-03-28T00:28:19.922Z","_scrapedBy":"cloudflare-swarm","_wikipedia":null,"indications":{"approved":[{"name":"Preservative in ophthalmic solutions (eye drops, contact lens solutions)"},{"name":"Antimicrobial agent in topical pharmaceutical formulations"},{"name":"Preservative in various injectable and non-injectable pharmaceutical products"}]},"trialDetails":[{"nctId":"NCT06404541","phase":"PHASE4","title":"A Comparative Study Between Preservative With Benzalkonium Chloride vs Preservative Free Eye Drops on the Ocular Surface","status":"ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING","sponsor":"Kasr El Aini Hospital","startDate":"2024-01-10","conditions":"Ocular Surface Disease, Dry Eye Syndromes","enrollment":60},{"nctId":"NCT04957329","phase":"PHASE4","title":"Effect of Benzalkonium Chloride Preserved and Preservative-free Latanoprost Eye Drops on Conjunctival Goblet Cells","status":"RECRUITING","sponsor":"Rigshospitalet, Denmark","startDate":"2021-09-01","conditions":"Glaucoma, Ocular Hypertension","enrollment":28},{"nctId":"NCT05606796","phase":"PHASE4","title":"Comparison of Preserved and Preservative-free Latanoprost 0.005% in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertensive Patients, at Guinness Eye Centre, Lagos.","status":"UNKNOWN","sponsor":"Uzoma Chinyei Joan","startDate":"2022-12","conditions":"Effect of Drug","enrollment":76},{"nctId":"NCT04896125","phase":"","title":"Comparison of Different Drugs on Ocular Surface Disease in Glaucoma Patients: a Prospective Randomised Study","status":"UNKNOWN","sponsor":"National Taiwan University Hospital","startDate":"2019-10-02","conditions":"Glaucoma; Ocular Disorders (I.E. Caused by Ocular Disorders)","enrollment":300},{"nctId":"NCT03331770","phase":"PHASE4","title":"Efficacy and Tolerability of an Innovative Formulation of BAK-free Latanoprost","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Laboratorios Poen","startDate":"2017-01-06","conditions":"Primary Open-angle Glaucoma","enrollment":103},{"nctId":"NCT03104621","phase":"PHASE4","title":"Efficacy and Tolerability of Preservative-free 0.0015% Tafluprost in Glaucoma Patients","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Gangnam Severance Hospital","startDate":"2013-03","conditions":"Primary Open-angle Glaucoma","enrollment":20},{"nctId":"NCT01664039","phase":"PHASE4","title":"An Efficacy and Tolerability Study of TRAVATAN® Versus LUMIGAN®","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Alcon Research","startDate":"2012-09","conditions":"Glaucoma, Ocular Hypertension","enrollment":104},{"nctId":"NCT00892762","phase":"PHASE3","title":"Travoprost APS Versus Xalatan® in Patient Reported Outcomes and Ocular Surface Health","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Alcon Research","startDate":"2009-06","conditions":"Open Angle Glaucoma, Ocular Hypertension","enrollment":434},{"nctId":"NCT01493427","phase":"PHASE4","title":"Efficacy of Changing to TRAVATAN® From Prior Therapy","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Alcon Research","startDate":"2011-12","conditions":"Open-Angle Glaucoma, Ocular Hypertension","enrollment":202},{"nctId":"NCT01779284","phase":"PHASE4","title":"Travoprost/Timolol vs Latanoprost/Timolol Fixed Combination Therapy","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki","startDate":"2012-01","conditions":"Glaucoma","enrollment":42},{"nctId":"NCT00845299","phase":"PHASE2","title":"Study of the Effects of Artificial Tears on the Response to the Latanoprost Punctal Plug Delivery System in Subjects With Ocular Hypertension or Open-Angle Glaucoma","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Mati Therapeutics Inc.","startDate":"2009-01","conditions":"Glaucoma, Ocular Hypertension","enrollment":40},{"nctId":"NCT01505088","phase":"PHASE3","title":"Safety and Efficacy Study of Iontophoretic Dexamethasone Phosphate Ophthalmic Solution to Treat Non-Infectious Anterior Segment Uveitis","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Eyegate Pharmaceuticals, Inc.","startDate":"2011-12","conditions":"Anterior Uveitis","enrollment":193},{"nctId":"NCT00874887","phase":"PHASE4","title":"A Clinical Study to Evaluate if Benzalkonium Chloride (BAK) in a Quinolone Eyedrop Reduces the Likelihood of Developing Resistant Organisms","status":"COMPLETED","sponsor":"Allergan","startDate":"2009-03","conditions":"Anti-biotic Resistance","enrollment":66}],"_emaApprovals":[],"_faersSignals":[],"_approvalHistory":[],"publicationCount":374,"rwe":[],"genericFilers":[],"relatedDrugs":[],"labelChanges":[],"biosimilarFilings":[],"pricing":[],"formularyStatus":[],"manufacturing":[],"companionDiagnostics":[],"competitors":[],"timeline":[],"patents":[],"ownershipHistory":[],"trials":[],"biosimilars":[],"latestUpdates":[],"references":[],"tags":[],"ecosystem":[],"genericManufacturerList":[],"offLabel":[],"developmentCodes":[],"aliases":[],"phase":"marketed","status":"active","brandName":"Benzalkonium chloride (BAK)","genericName":"Benzalkonium chloride (BAK)","companyName":"Gangnam Severance Hospital","companyId":"gangnam-severance-hospital","modality":"Small molecule","firstApprovalDate":"","aiSummary":"Benzalkonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium compound that disrupts bacterial and fungal cell membranes, exerting antimicrobial and preservative effects. Used for Preservative in ophthalmic solutions (eye drops, contact lens solutions), Antimicrobial agent in topical pharmaceutical formulations, Preservative in various injectable and non-injectable pharmaceutical products.","enrichmentLevel":3,"visitCount":0,"trialStats":{"total":0,"withResults":0},"verificationStatus":"verified","dataCompleteness":{"mechanism":true,"indications":true,"safety":true,"trials":true,"score":4}}