Last reviewed 2026-04-20 · How we verify

Ocupress (CARTEOLOL)

Ocupress (Carteolol) is a beta-adrenergic blocker, a small molecule drug developed by Novartis. It targets the beta-1 adrenergic receptor to treat hypertensive disorders, ocular hypertension, and open-angle glaucoma. Originally approved by the FDA in 1988, Ocupress is now off-patent with multiple generic manufacturers. Its half-life is approximately 4.7 hours, and it has a bioavailability of 88%. As a beta-blocker, Ocupress is used to reduce intraocular pressure and treat glaucoma.

At a glance

Approved indications

• Hypertensive disorder
• Ocular hypertension
• Open-angle glaucoma

Common side effects

• Transient eye irritation
• Bradycardia
• Decreased blood pressure
• Cardiac arrhythmia
• Heart palpitation
• Dyspnea
• Asthenia
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Insomnia
• Sinusitis
• Taste perversion

Drug interactions

• chlorpropamide
• clonidine
• epinephrine
• felodipine
• glibenclamide
• glipizide
• indomethacin
• piroxicam
• sulindac
• tolazamide
• tolbutamide
• verapamil

Key clinical trials

• Efficacy and Safety Study of OPC-1085EL Ophthalmic Solution in Subjects With Glaucoma or Ocular Hypertension (PHASE3)
• Pharmacokinetic Study of OPC-1085EL Ophthalmic Solution in Healthy Male Adult Volunteers (PHASE1)
• Coreg and HSRs-Updated Analysis
• A Study to Evaluate Efficacy and Safety Effects Using Mikelan® LA Ophthalmic Solution (OS) 2% Versus Timoptol® XE Ophthalmic Solution (OS) 0.5% in Ocular Hypertension Patients (PHASE4)

Primary sources

Every claim on this page is sourced from regulatory or scientific primary sources. See our editorial policy for full methodology.

Competitive intelligence

For the full competitive landscape — auto-detected comparators, recent regulatory actions across the set, upcoming PDUFA, patent timeline, sponsor landscape:

• Ocupress CI brief — competitive landscape report
• Ocupress updates RSS · CI watch RSS