Short term efficacy and safety in glaucoma patients changed to the latanoprost 0.005%/timolol maleate 0.5% fixed combination from monotherapies and adjunctive therapies.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate efficacy and safety in patients with ocular hypertension or open angle glaucoma changed to latanoprost/timolol fixed combination (LTFC).


METHODS
A prospective, multicentre, historical control in which qualified patients had their previous therapy substituted by LTFC and were followed for at least 2 months.


RESULTS
In 1676 patients LTFC was continued in 93% throughout the observation period. In all patients LTFC reduced the intraocular pressure (IOP) from 20.6 (SD 3.8) to 17.7 (3.0) mm Hg (p<0.001) compared to previous monotherapies including latanoprost, timolol, alpha agonists or carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAI). LTFC provided more efficacy after changing from adjunctive therapies including: a beta blocker added to either CAI, alpha agonist, or pilocarpine, or CAI added to an alpha agonist, or latanoprost added to either CAI, alpha agonist, or beta blocker (unfixed combination), and travoprost added to timolol (p<0.007). LTFC was as effective as latanoprost used with dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination (-0.9 mm Hg, p = 0.1792). The most common reason to discontinue therapy was lack of efficacy (n = 70, 4%) and adverse event (n = 17, 1%).


CONCLUSIONS
In a clinical setting, patients who have their monotherapy or adjunctive therapy substituted with LTFC may experience reduced IOP, good tolerability, and continuation of therapy for the first 2-3 months of treatment.
Hamacher
T
T
Pharmaceutical Research Network, LLC, 1639 Tatum Street, Charleston, SC 29412-2464, USA.
Schinzel
M
M
Schölzel-Klatt
A
A
Neff
H-M
HM
Maier
H
H
Schlaffer
G
G
Beausencourt
E
E
Jütte
M
M
Scholz
R
R
Lorger
C
C
Stewart
W C
WC
D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D000077338:Latanoprost; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013999:Timolol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic; D000077338:Latanoprost; D013999:Timolol