%0 Journal Article
%T Long-term cost and efficacy analysis of latanoprost versus timolol in glaucoma patients in Germany
%A Ulrich Thelen
%A Dietmar Schnober
%A Sonja Sch£¿lzel
%A Michael S. Kristoffersen
%J International Journal of Ophthalmology
%D 2013
%I IJO Press
%R 10.3980/j.issn.2222-3959.2013.02.09
%X AIM: To evaluate 5-year effectiveness and cost between latanoprost or timolol monotherapy in a pilot trial. METHODS: A retrospective, multi-center trial performed at 6 sites in Germany of patients who had a diagnosis of primary open-angle or pigmentary glaucoma, in at least one eye, initiated on monotherapy with latanoprost or timolol maleate. Qualified consecutive charts were reviewed in which 5-year efficacy, safety and cost data was abstracted. RESULTS: Seventy-seoen latanoprost and 49 timolol patients were included, at the final visit no difference existed between the two groups in disc parameters including:rim area, rim area/disc area ratio, cup volume or vertical cup/disc ratio (P>0.05). There was no difference in intraocular pressure (IOP) between the initial latanoprost (17.4¡À2.6) and timolol (16.3¡À2.8mmHg) groups. There was less change in medicines over the follow-up period (0.1 vs 0.8) and fewer medications at the final visit (1.2 vs 1.8) with latanoprost compared to timolol. No patient treated with latanoprost discontinued therapy during follow-up, while 12% discontinued timolol mostly due to inadequate IOP control. Cost/year was less with initial timolol ($458¡À236) as compared to latanoprost ($552¡À202). CONCLUSION:Patients begun on latanoprost or timolol and followed over 5 years may have similar clinical outcomes. However, timolol patients may require more medicines and medicine changes to control IOP for long-term, but at a lower cost.
%K glaucoma
%K economic
%K efficacy
%K safety
%K latanoprost
%K timolol
%K Germany
%U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633752/