Latanoprost, a Prostaglandin Analog, for Glaucoma Therapy

Purpose: To determine efficacy and safety of latanoprost, a prostaglandin analog for glaucoma, during 1 year of treatment. Methods: After baseline measurements, 0.005% latanoprost was topically applied once daily for 12 months in patients from Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, and the United States who had elevated intraocular pressure (IOP). Diagnoses included ocular hypertension, chronic open-angle glaucoma, exfoliation syndrome, and pigment dispersion syndrome. Treatment was masked for the first 6 months and open-label during the second 6 months. Results: Of the 272 patients initially enrolled, withdrawals were due to inadequate IOP control (1 %), increased iris pigmentation (5%), other ocular problems (3%), systemic medical problems (3%), and nonmedical reasons (14%). Latanoprost significantly ( P Conclusion: Latanoprost safely and effectively reduces IOP for 1 year in patients of diverse nationalities, providing further evidence for its usefulness in chronic glaucoma therapy.