Efficacy and afety of timolol olution once daily v timolol gel added to latanoprot Original Reearch Article

PURPOE: To compare the efficacy and afety of timolol hemihydrate 0.5% (Betimol, Ciba Viion Ophthalmic, Duluth, Georgia) v timolol maleate gel-forming olution 0.5% (Timoptic-XE, Merck, Blue Bell, Pennylvania), both given every morning added to latanoprot 0.005% given every evening. METHOD: A multicenter, randomized, croover comparion wa performed in patient with primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertenion. After at leat a 4-week run-in period with latanoprot 0.005% (Xalatan, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Kalamazoo, Michigan), both eye from 30 patient (60 eye) were randomly aigned to one of the two adjunctive therapie, timolol hemihydrate or timolol maleate gel for 6 week. At the end of the firt period, the tudy medicine wa dicontinued for a 2-week wahout period. Patient then received the oppoite medication for the econd 6-week period. Thi tudy had an 80% power to exclude a 1-mm Hg difference between group. REULT: The baeline intraocular preure after 1 month of latanoprot treatment only for all 30 ubject wa 20.8 ± 2.6 mm Hg. After 6 week of timolol hemihydrate, the 24-hour trough intraocular preure wa 17.5 ± 3.4 mm Hg, and for timolol maleate gel, 17.9 ± 3.5 mm Hg (P = .74). The peak level 2 hour after doing for timolol hemihydate wa 16.4 ± 2.6 mm Hg, and for timolol maleate gel, 16.8 ± 3.8 mm Hg (P = .84). No patient wa dicontinued from the tudy becaue of lack of efficacy. No difference were oberved between treatment in viual acuity, anterior egment finding, or advere event. CONCLUION: Once-daily β-blocker therapy i an effective ocular hypotenive adjunctive treatment 24 hour after doing when added to latanoprot, for which timolol hemihydrate 0.5% olution and timolol maleate gel 0.5% appear equally effective and afe.