title: Adjunctive use of tafluprost with timolol provides additive effects for reduction of intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the efficacy and safety of tafluprost as an adjunctive therapy to timolol in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, uncontrolled by timolol monotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a randomized, double-masked, parallel-group, multinational and multicenter 12-week phase III study. Tafluprost 0.0015% (once daily: 20:10) or vehicle were administered as adjunctive therapy to timolol 0.5% (twice daily: 08:00 and 20:00) for 6 weeks, after which all patients received tafluprost for 6 weeks. Intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were conducted at 08:00, 10:00, and 16:00 at baseline, and weeks 2, 4, 6, and 12.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 185 patients were randomized to tafluprost (n = 96) or vehicle (n = 89). Reductions in IOP were seen in both groups, which were consistently more pronounced with tafluprost. At week 6, the change from baseline in diurnal IOP ranged from -5.49 to -5.82 mmHg, and the overall treatment difference (tafluprost vehicle) was -1.49 mmHg (upper 95% confidence interval, -0.66; p<0.001, intention-to-treat population, repeated measurements of the analysis of covariance model). At week 12, the change from baseline ranged from -6.22 to -6.79 mmHg in the tafluprost group. Patients switched from vehicle to tafluprost achieved a similar decrease in IOP to those who received tafluprost throughout the study (group difference at 12 weeks, -0.09 mmHg, p=0.812). There were more ocular adverse events with tafluprost compared with vehicle (42% vs. 29%, respectively), but most were mild in severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As adjunctive therapy to timolol, tafluprost achieved a consistently greater reduction in IOP compared with vehicle, and was well tolerated.
authors.affiliation: Russian State Medical University, Moscow - Russia. egorovrgmu@mail.ru
authors.forename: Evgeny
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Egorov
authors.forename: Auli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ropo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013999:Timolol / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D011460:Prostaglandins F; C485333:tafluprost; D013999:Timolol