marketplace
Focus on Glaucoma Medications

TRAVATAN
Alcon

According to Alcon data, travoprost (Travatan) lowers IOP up to 9 mmHg over 24 hours and controls IOP as the day goes on.

Alcon says one reason travoprost lowers and controls IOP is because it's a "full FP receptor agonist." Prostaglandin FP receptor activation causes the release of matrix metallo-proteinase (MMP) enzymes. MMP enzymes degrade the extracellular matrix. This degradation increases outflow, which lowers IOP.

Phone: (800) 862-5266
Web: www.travatan.com

LUMIGAN/ALPHAGAN P
Allergan

Allergan says bimatoprost (Lumigan), a prostamide, lowers eye pressure with a unique mechanism of action that enables aqueous outflow via multiple pathways and results in more efficacious and cost-effective disease management.

The company cites studies that demonstrate that bimatoprost is the most efficacious IOP-lowering medication, and that compared with other hypotensive lipids, bimatoprost produces the lowest mean IOP.

As patient compliance with treatment has been shown to be vital to reducing the risk of disease progression and vision loss, Allergan says it's important to note that treatment adherence rates have been shown to be nearly equal for patients on bimatoprost or another lipid.

Allergan also produces brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution 0.15% (Alphagan P), an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, which Allergan says is a superior choice for adjunctive glaucoma therapy in patients needing additional IOP reduction.

Allergan says Alphagan P is an ideal choice in a second-line agent, particularly for patients with co-morbidities, because of the proven IOP reduction. Alphagan P offers a dual mechanism of action for treatment flexibility without adverse drug interactions. Allergan says Alphagan P also has an ideal safety profile for most patients with other health problems -- with no cardiopulmonary contraindications, no warnings regarding patients with diabetes, and no systemic side effects that exacerbate co-morbidities like cardiopulmonary issues, depression or sexual dysfunction.

For Lumigan:
Phone: (800) 347-4500
Web: www.lumigan.com

For Alphagan P
Phone: (800) 433-8871
Web: www.allergan.com

OPTIPRANOLOL
Bausch & Lomb

OptiPranolol contains metipranolol, a nonselective beta-adrenergic receptor blocking agent.

When applied topically in the eye, metipranolol reduces elevated, as well as normal IOP, whether or not accompanied by glaucoma.

In controlled studies of patients with IOP greater than 24 mmHg at baseline, metipranolol reduced the average IOP by 20% to 26%.

In clinical studies, B&L says OptiPranolol demonstrated efficacy comparable to timolol maleate 0.5% ophthalmic solution. It also caused less impairment from exercise-induced tachycardia and showed less potential for systemic beta blockade vs. timolol maleate.

Phone: (800) 531-2020
Web: www.bausch.com

XALATAN
Pfizer

Latanoprost ophthalmic solution (Xalatan) is an ocular hypotensive agent for treating open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Xalatan is clinically proven to lower IOP, and Pfizer says it's the most prescribed IOP-lowering agent in the United States. (IMS Health, NPA data, March 2003 through February 2004.) Xal-Ease is an easy-to-use aid that helps patients open the Xalatan bottle more easily and place the Xalatan drops in their eyes. The Xal-Ease eye drop delivery aid is free, and can be ordered by ophthalmologists on the Xalatan website (www.xalatan.com), or by calling Pfizer Drug Information and Medical Services at the phone number listed below.

Phone: (888) 691-6813
Web: www.xalatan.com

BETIMOL
Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, LLC

Timolol ophthalmic solution 0.25%, 0.5% (Betimol) is a patent-protected, branded beta-blocker currently marketed in the United States by Vistakon Pharmaceuticals, LLC. The company says that clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of Betimol as statistically equivalent to that of timolol maleate (Timoptic). The most common ocular adverse events reported in using Betimol include foreign body sensation (2%), burning/stinging (1%), dry eye (1%) and ocular discomfort (1%).

Phone: (904) 443-1000 

More Products & Services

The new Simplicity knife produces precise, single-pass incisions.

DIAMOND KNIVES

Accutome Inc. has introduced a new line of Simplicity Diamond Knives with increased sharpness for precise, single-pass incisions. No initial groove is needed.

The new knives are available in parallel and trapezoid designs, and in microincision sizes. Each knife comes with a titanium handle that's guaranteed for life. Accutome also offers care and handling training, and will retrofit older, but serviceable handles with the new knives.

Accutome
Phone: (800) 979-2020
E-mail: eyeopenr@accutome.com
Web: www.accutome.com

Rhein's 3-D Trapezoid Blade creates a linear perpendicular incision.

TRAPEZOID BLADE

Rhein Medical has launched a new 1.2 mm-1.4 mm 3-D Trapezoid Blade. The company says the patented sloping bevels of the blade create a linear perpendicular incision through Descemet's and Bowman's membranes without inducing corneal distortion.

The blade width is smaller at the shoulders and larger at the base of the mount, which Rhein says makes it ideal for creating a paracentesis for bimanual phaco.

The 3-D Trapezoid Blade is available on an angled, autoclaveable titanium handle, and is available for a surgical evaluation without obligation.

Rhein Medical
Phone: (800) 637-4346
E-mail: info@rheinmedical.co
Web: www.rheinmedical.com

The Chang HydroChopper delivers up to 65% more inflow than standard 20-gauge choppers.

CHANG CHOPPER

Katena offers the new Chang HydroChopper, which it says delivers significantly more inflow than standard 20-gauge choppers. The front end of the instrument is made entirely from one piece of extruded stainless steel, which allows for a much larger inside diameter while maintaining the same 20-gauge outside diameter. An end-opening port near the tip assures that the irrigation is always in the eye, even when working near the incision.

The HydroChopper's curved, finger-shaped tip has a well-defined inner edge for horizontal chopping of the nucleus. The tip is also designed for easy manipulation of nuclear fragments.

Phone: (973) 989-1600
Web: www.katena.com