Fixed-combination and emerging glaucoma therapies

Expert Opin Emerg Drugs. 2007 May;12(2):313-27. doi: 10.1517/14728214.12.2.313.

Abstract

Ocular hypotensive agents are the only approved pharmacotherapy for glaucoma. Despite significant advances during the past two decades, a large proportion of glaucoma patients require more than one drug. The most recent additions to the armamentarium of antiglaucoma drugs are fixed-combination products for the glaucoma patient who is insufficiently responsive to monotherapy. Fixed-combination products have the combined efficacy of two ocular hypotensive drugs, and the convenience of a two-drug treatment regimen in a single container, which may aid patient adherence to treatment. Available fixed-combination products consist of timolol 0.5% as an invariant with brimonidine 0.2%, dorzolamide 2%, travoprost 0.004%, latanoprost 0.005% or bimatoprost 0.03%. Research on more advanced antiglaucoma medications continues. Promising new directions appear to be the Rho-kinase inhibitors, microtubule-disrupting agents, serotonergics and cannabimimetics. Efforts continue to improve existing antiglaucoma drugs in an attempt to design second-generation cholinomimetics, adrenergics, prostaglandins and prostamides.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cholinergic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Drug Combinations*
  • Glaucoma / drug therapy*
  • Glaucoma / metabolism
  • Glaucoma / pathology
  • Humans
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / administration & dosage

Substances

  • Cholinergic Agents
  • Drug Combinations
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors