Xal-Ease: impact of an ocular hypotensive delivery device on ease of eyedrop administration, patient compliance, and satisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
To measure the impact of the Xal-Ease delivery device on ease of eyedrop administration and on treatment compliance and satisfaction.


METHODS
This prospective, multicenter, randomized, comparative, crossover study was conducted at 43 sites in France. Eligible subjects were >18 years of age, were diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, had been treated with latanoprost or fixed-combination latanoprost/timolol for >or=3 months prior to enrollment, and did not require a therapy change. Subjects used either Xal-Ease or the dropper bottle for 4 weeks and then switched to the alternate delivery method for the next 4 weeks. Subjects completed questionnaires after 1 and 4 weeks in each treatment period.


RESULTS
In all, 211 subjects were enrolled, 107 to the Xal-Ease/dropper bottle group and 104 to the dropper bottle/Xal-Ease group. Baseline demographic and ocular characteristics were similar. Use of Xal-Ease made it significantly less likely that the subject would need someone to help with drop instillation (6.9% vs 18.1%, respectively; p<0.001) and reduced the problem of the tip of the bottle touching the eye (3.2% vs 35.6%, respectively; p<0.001). Reported compliance rates were very high and similar across groups during both treatment periods. After 1 month of use during both treatment periods, more than 70% of subjects reported global satisfaction with Xal-Ease to their physicians. No adverse events associated with the use of Xal-Ease were noted.


CONCLUSIONS
Xal-Ease generally makes administration of latanoprost or fixed-combination latanoprost/timolol easier compared with the dropper bottle.
Nordmann
Jean-Philippe
JP
Hôpital des Quinze-Vingts, Paris - France. j.p.nordmann@quinze-vingts.fr
Baudouin
Christophe
C
Bron
Alain
A
Denis
Philippe
P
Rouland
Jean-Francois
JF
Sellem
Eric
E
Renard
Jean-Paul
JP
D000368:Aged; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077338:Latanoprost; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013999:Timolol / Q000008:administration & dosage
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions; D011461:Prostaglandins F, Synthetic; D000077338:Latanoprost; D013999:Timolol