[A comparison between latanoprost and timolol in treatment of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension].

Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic value of latanoprost on glaucoma.
Methods: In an open-label fashion, multicenter, randomized control clinical trial, the efficacy and adverse drug reactions of topical application of 0.005% latanoprost once daily were compared with that of 0.5% timolol twice daily for 12 weeks in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
Results: The study included 128 patients (63 patients in latanoprost group and 65 patients in timolol group) and 117 patients remained at the end of the study (60 cases in latanoprost group and 57 cases in timolol group). Comparing 12 weeks with baseline diurnal intraocular pressure (IOP), the IOP reduction (mean +/- standard deviation) in latanoprost group was (7.5 +/- 0.3) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) (32%, t = 22.73, P < 0.0001) greater than the reduction in timolol group (6.1 +/- 0.3) mm Hg (26%, t = 17.94, P < 0.0001), the difference between the two groups being significant (F = 9.54, P = 0.0026). Two patients treated with timolol and none treated with latanoprost were withdrawn from the study because of inadequate IOP control; 3 patients with latanoprost had foreign body sensation. In latanoprost group, there was one patient whose eyelashes became darker and longer at the last visit (the 12th week). No ocular and systemic adverse events related to the two drugs were found.
Conclusion: It is demonstrated that 0.005% latanoprost topically applied once daily is well tolerated and more effective in reducing IOP than 0.5% timolol topically applied twice daily. Thus, latanoprost has the potential to be a new first-line antiglaucoma drug.