The Effect Of Preservative Free Tafluprost On Intraocular Pressure In Patients With Ocular Hypertension Or Primary Open Angle Glaucoma - Special Issue

Purpose: Increased intraocular pressure (IOP) is the most important modifiable risk factor for the development and progression of glaucoma. This underlines the need for a potent and save IOP lowering therapy. The introduction of preservative free prostaglandins offers a new treatment possibility using a potent topical drug without the disadvantages of a coadministered preservative. The current study was designed to investigate the effect of an 8 week treatment with preservative free tafluprost on IOP in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Methods: 16 patients with either primary open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension with an uncontrolled intraocular pressure (IOP) ? 30mmHg were included in the study. A washout period with a duration between 2 and 4 weeks was scheduled for all patients before study start. IOP was measured at 8:00am and 6:00pm on each study day. IOP measurements were performed after the washout period as well as 4 and 8 weeks after start of topical drug treatment. Results: After the 2-4 weeks washout period average IOP was 35.6±4.5 mmHg at 8:00 am and 32.9±5.4 mmHg at 6:00 pm. After 4 weeks administration of preservative free tafluprost, IOP decreased by 31% ± 12% to 24.4±4.6 mmHg (p<0.01) and by 34% ± 14% to 21.6±4.6 mmHg (p<0.01) at the morning and evening, respectively. At 8 weeks of tafluprost treatment IOP was 24.3±4.6 mmHg at 8:00 am(-31% ± 13% compared to baseline, p<0.01) and 21.9±3.9 mmHg at 6:00 pm (-32% ± 16% compared to baseline, p<0.01). No significant difference was observed in IOP change between 4 and 8 weeks at either time point. Conclusion: Our data indicate that treatment with preservative free tafluprost is a safe and potent therapy to lower IOP in patients with primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. In this group of patients with relatively high IOPs at baseline a pronounced reduction of IOP was achieved over a period of 4 to 8 weeks.