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M.D., Diyarbakır Training and Research Hospital Eye Clinic, Diyarbakır/TURKEY The aim of this review is to provide a commentary on recent studies with the new IOP-lowering fixed-combination product brinzolamide 1%/timolol 0.5%.
Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy leading to visual field loss and a major leading cause of blindness in the world. It is estimated that approximately 60.5 million suffer from glaucom. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a key risk factor in disease progression. Treatment is aimed at reduction of IOP to minimize continued optic nerve head damage. The use of fixed combinations reduce the number of daily instillations and washout effect, which promotes adherence to the prescribed medication and diminishe the exposition of the ocular surface to preservatives. One option is the fixed combination of brinzolamide 1% and timolol maleate 0.5%, which is commercially available in some countries as Azarga. It is more potent than either of its ingredients alone. Compared with another carbonic anhydrase inhibitor-containing product- dorzolamide 2%/timolol 0.5%- brinzolamide/timolol has similar IOP-lowering efficacy but better tolerated than the dorzolamide/timolol fixed combination. This is explained by the more physiologic pH of brinzolamide/timolol.
In conclusion, brinzolamide/timolol fixed-combination is equally effective and more comfortable than dorzolamide/timolol fixed-combination, a fact that may positively impact adherence, leading to an increased likelihood of reaching target IOP goal. Keywords : Brinzolamide, dorzolamide, efficacy, fixed-combination, patient compliance, safety, timolol