Cysteamine
Also sold as: Cystaran, Procysbi, Cystagon, Cystadrops
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Drug Information
Mechanism of Action
12.1 Mechanism of Action Cysteamine acts as a cystine-depleting agent by converting cystine to cysteine and cysteine-cysteamine mixed disulfides and reduces corneal cystine crystal accumulation.
Indications & Uses
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE CYSTADROPS is a cystine-depleting agent indicated for the treatment of corneal cystine crystal deposits in adults and children with cystinosis. CYSTADROPS is a cystine-depleting agent indicated for the treatment of corneal cystine crystal deposits in adults and children with cystinosis. ( 1 )
Dosage & Administration
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Instill one drop of CYSTADROPS in each eye, 4 times a day during waking hours. ( 2.1 ) 2.1 Dosage Information Instill one drop of CYSTADROPS in each eye, 4 times a day during waking hours. Do not touch dropper tip to the eyelids, surrounding areas, or any surface, as this may contaminate the solution. In case of concomitant therapy with other topical ocular products, an interval of 10 minutes should be allowed between successive applications. Eye ointments should be administered last. If the patient misses an instillation, the patient should be told to administer a dose as soon as feasible and then continue the treatment with the next scheduled instillation. Discard bottle 7 days after first opening. 2.2 Preparation for Administration Patients should be advised to store new unopened CYSTADROPS bottles in the refrigerator in the original carton between 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). Each week, one new bottle should be removed from the refrigerator. Patients are to write the date the bottle was opened in the space on the carton. After first opening, store opened CYSTADROPS at room temperature between 68°F to 77°F (20°C to 25°C). Do not refrigerate after opening. Patients are to wash their hands carefully in order to avoid microbiological contamination of the content in the bottle. Remove the green protective cap (see Figure A ). Remove the metal seal (see Figure B ). Remove the gray stopper (see Figure C ) from the bottle. Do not touch the opening of the bottle after removing the gray stopper. Take the dropper out of its packaging, without touching the end intended to be attached to the bottle, attach it (see Figure D ) to the bottle and do not remove it. Patients should be advised not to lose the small white cap that comes on the top of the dropper (see Figure E ). Keep the small white cap tightly closed when not in use. Instill one drop of CYSTADROPS in each eye, 4 times a day during waking hours. At the end of 7 days, patients should discard the bottle. There may be medication left in the bottle; however, the bottle must be discarded by the patient because the medication is only stable for 7 days after first opening.
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The most common adverse reactions (≥ 10%) are eye pain, vision blurred, eye irritation, ocular hyperaemia, instillation site discomfort, eye pruritus, lacrimation increased, and ocular deposits. ( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Recordati Rare Diseases Inc. at 1-888-575-8344, or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The most common adverse reactions (≥ 10%) reported during clinical trials were eye pain, vision blurred, eye irritation, ocular hyperaemia, instillation site discomfort, eye pruritus, lacrimation increased, and ocular deposits.
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS None. None. ( 4 )
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Medical Disclaimer: Information on this page is sourced from FDA-approved labeling data and is for educational reference only. It does not constitute medical advice. This information does not establish a provider-patient relationship. Always verify with current prescribing information and consult a licensed healthcare professional before any clinical decision. Read full disclaimer.
Data sourced from RxNorm (NLM/NIH), FDA Orange Book, OpenFDA, DailyMed. Last updated: 2026-03-02.