ADDITIVE EFFECT OF LATANOPROST, A PROSTAGLANDIN-F2-ALPHA ANALOG, AND TIMOLOL IN PATIENTS WITH ELEVATED INTRAOCULAR-PRESSURE

A randomised observer masked clinical study was conducted to assess th e additive effect of latanoprost (13,14-dihydro-17-phenyl-18,19, 20-tr inorprostaglandin F-2 alpha-isopropylester) to timolol maleate in pati ents with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Patients were randomly assigned to two treatment groups. One group (n=10) received timolol, t he other group (n=9) received latanoprost twice daily for 1 week. Afte r 1 week all patients received both timolol and latanoprost. Eyes trea ted with timolol (mean diurnal IOP (SD) day 0, 24.2 (2.8) mm Hg) and l atanoprost (mean diurnal IOP day 0, 28.5 (5.6) mm Hg) showed an IOP re duction of 5.9 (2.3) mm Hg (24%) and 8.9 (2.5) mm Hg (31%), respective ly after the first week. Adding latanoprost td the eyes treated with t imolol as well as timolol to the eyes receiving latanoprost gave a fur ther reduction of 2.6 (1.1) mm Hg (13%) and 2.6 (2.2) mm Hg (14%), res pectively. Only mild transient hyperaemia was observed in patients rec eiving latanoprost. The results indicate that latanoprost and timolol can be combined successfully and that complete or almost complete addi tivity is reached even at pressure levels below 20 mm Hg.