[Clinical application prospects and challenges of preservative-free anti-glaucoma drugs]

As the world's leading irreversible blinding eye disease, glaucoma is predominantly managed with pharmaceutical interventions in clinical practice. However, long-term use of traditional eye drops containing preservatives (e.g., benzalkonium chloride) may induce ocular surface toxicity, increase the incidence of dry eye, promote conjunctival fibrosis, and compromise the success rate of filtering surgery. In recent years, the field of ophthalmology has been actively advancing the research, development, and clinical application of preservative-free anti-glaucoma drugs. This article focuses on the research progress of preservative-free formulations in terms of innovative preparation technologies, characteristics of clinical benefits, and existing issues, while exploring their future development directions, aiming to provide references for clinical practice.