Paired-eye comparison of medical therapies for glaucoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate efficacy and patient preference retrospectively among intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering prostamide and prostaglandin medications in a real-world clinical setting. METHODS: Chart review of patients with uncontrolled glaucoma or ocular hypertension seen at a private practice clinic (n = 55) who received bimatoprost 0.03% once daily in one eye and either travoprost 0.004% or latanoprost 0.005% once daily in the fellow eye. IOP was evaluated at the initial visit and at a follow-up visit scheduled 4-6 weeks later. At the follow-up visit, each patient discussed the clinical results with their physician, chose which medication they preferred to continue using, and were queried regarding the reason for their choice. This paired-eye comparison method is used routinely in clinical practice to assess clinical response and involve patients in decisions regarding treatment. Change in mean IOP from baseline and patient medication choice were the outcome measures. RESULTS: Bimatoprost-treated eyes (n = 52) had a mean IOP reduction of 2.7 mmHg and travoprost-treated eyes (n = 47) had an average decrease of 1.7 mmHg (P = 0.230). Bimatoprost significantly reduced mean IOP (from 19.8 mmHg at baseline to 17.1 mmHg at follow-up, P < 0.0001), as did travoprost (from 19.4 mmHg at baseline to 17.7 mmHg at follow-up, P = 0.009). Latanoprost-treated eyes were excluded from the efficacy analysis due to small sample size (n = 5). For continued therapy, patients chose bimatoprost over travoprost by a factor of 2.4 to 1. Of the 15 patients who gave a reason for their choice, 80% said their decision was based primarily on IOP change. CONCLUSIONS: Bimatoprost and travoprost were efficacious in reducing IOP among patients with uncontrolled glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Patients preferred bimatoprost over travoprost when trialed in fellow eyes.

Dorzolamide/Timolol fixed combination versus concomitant administration of brimonidine and timolol in patients with elevated intraocular pressure: a 3-month comparison of efficacy, tolerability, and patient-reported measures.

BACKGROUND: To compare the intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering effect, tolerability, and patient-reported measures of the dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination and the concomitant administration of brimonidine and timolol after 3 months. METHODS: Four hundred ninety-two patients with ocular hypertension, primary open-angle glaucoma, exfoliative glaucoma, or pigmentary glaucoma participated in this randomized, observer-masked, multicenter study. Following 3 weeks of timolol monotherapy, patients with a peak IOP of > or = 2 mm Hg were randomized to receive either fixed combination dorzolamide/timolol twice daily or concomitant brimonidine plus timolol twice daily for 3 months. The IOP-lowering effects at peak and trough, tolerability, and patient-reported convenience and satisfaction were measured at months 1 and 3. RESULTS: At month 3 peak, the dorzolamide/timolol group had an adjusted mean (SE) change from baseline IOP of -4.30 (0.24) mm Hg versus -5.27 (0.23) mm Hg in the brimonidine-plus-timolol group, with a treatment difference of 0.97 mm Hg (95% CI: 0.40, 1.53). At the month 3 trough timepoint and both month 1 timepoints, the 95% CIs of the treatment differences were within the prespecified comparability boundary of +/- 1.5 mm Hg. The incidence of drug-related adverse experiences was similar between treatment groups. Patient-reported assessments of convenience and satisfaction showed no statistically significant differences between treatment groups. CONCLUSIONS: The IOP-lowering effect of the dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination and concomitant brimonidine plus timolol were comparable at 3 of the 4 timepoints measured. Patient-reported measures and the incidence of adverse experiences in both treatment groups were similar.

Randomized clinical trial of latanoprost and unoprostone in patients with elevated intraocular pressure.

PURPOSE: To compare the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect and safety of latanoprost 0.005% once daily with that of unoprostone 0.15% twice daily for patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial. METHODS: In a prospective, 8-week, investigator-masked, parallel-group study conducted at numerous centers in the United States, 165 previously treated patients with IOP >or= 25 mm Hg in one or both eyes after washout were randomly assigned to receive either latanoprost 0.005% once daily in the evening or unoprostone 0.15% twice daily. Observations procedures were Goldmann applanation tonometry, best-corrected visual acuity, slit lamp biomicroscopy, and ophthalmoscopy. The main outcome measure was change in the mean of the IOPs measured at 8:00 AM, 12 noon, and 4:00 PM between baseline (before treatment) and after 8 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The change in the mean +/- SD of the IOPs measured at 8:00 AM, 12 noon, and 4:00 PM was -7.2 +/- 3.2 mm Hg (28%) for latanoprost (25.3 +/- 2.8 mm Hg at baseline to 18.2 +/- 2.8 mm Hg at 8 weeks) and -3.9 +/- 2.6 mm Hg (15%) for unoprostone (25.5 +/- 3.3 mm Hg at baseline to 21.6 +/- 4.0 mm Hg; P