“XALATAN is an appropriate choice when considering a change in glaucoma medication, since it consistently lowered IOP in these patients,” said Dr. TJ Zimmerman, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY. “A good adverse event profile may help improve patient compliance.”
Study participants switched to XALATAN because they or their physician were not satisfied with previous monotherapy due to lack of efficacy, adverse events, inconvenience or cost. Of the 599 patients who switched to XALATAN due to inadequate IOP control, 83 percent had >1 mmHg further reduction in IOP. Of the 139 patients who switched to XALATAN due to adverse events, 90 percent experienced resolution of the adverse event and maintained IOP control. 67 percent of the 150 patients who switched due to non-compliance, inconvenience, or cost of previous therapy experienced >1 mmHg reduction in IOP after switching.
A total of 825 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension completed the ongoing, multicenter, prospective, open-label study. All patients administered XALATAN once daily into their affected eye(s) for six weeks. IOP was measured before the switch to XALATAN and after six weeks of therapy with XALATAN.
The most common adverse events among the 27 patients who discontinued the study due to adverse events were generally consistent with the established adverse event profile for XALATAN.
Pharmacia Corporation manufactures XALATAN® (latanoprost ophthalmic solution), the world’s number one brand of glaucoma medication based on value share. XALATAN is indicated for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open angle glaucoma, chronic angle closure glaucoma, and ocular hypertension.
The most commonly reported side effects in eyes of patients treated with XALATAN for 6 months in clinical trials include eye irritation, eyelid redness, irritation of the clear front part surface of the eye, eyelid inflammation, darkening of eye colour, and eye pain. XALATAN may gradually change the eye colour in the treated eye by increasing the amount of brown colour; this colour change may be permanent.