Brinzolamide/Timolol Maleate

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new fixed combination of brinzolamide and timolol in patients with stages I and II of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Study patients were divided into 2 groups. The patients of the first group were prescribed Brinzolol Duo, the second group received an original drug Azarga. Regimen for both drugs was 1 drop 2 times per day for 84 days. The study included 7 monitoring visits: visit 0 (screening - 124 patients), visit 1 (randomization and treatment initiation - 120 patients), visits 2-4 (therapy), visit 5 (end of therapy - 117 patients), visit 6 (follow-up, study completion).

Out of 120 patients included in the study, 117 subjects had completed all study procedures. It was shown that both compared drugs significantly reduce intraocular pressure (IOP). After 3 months, 46.5% of patients in the Brinzolol Duo group and 46.9% of patients in the Azarga group had IOP lowered by more than 30% compared to baseline, with IOP amounting to ≤18 mm Hg in 36.6% and 30.2% of patients, respectively. Hypotensive efficacy and safety of the drugs were comparable between the groups (p>0.05). The drugs were well tolerated, all adverse events (AEs) were mild or moderate in severity.

The new drug Brinzolol Duo (brinzolamide + timolol) significantly reduces IOP in POAG patients with efficacy comparable to Azarga.

Background. The aim of this study was to compare the daily costs and cost effectiveness of fixed combination glaucoma drugs in China. Methods. This study included the following fixed combination drugs: brinzolamide 1% and timolol 0.5% (Azarga; Alcon, Inc., Fort Worth, TX, USA), travoprost 0.004% and timolol 0.5% (DuoTrav; Alcon, Inc.), bimatoprost 0.03% and timolol 0.5% (Ganfort; Allergan, Inc., Dublin, Ireland), and latanoprost 0.005% and timolol 0.5% (Xalacom; Pfizer, Inc., New York, NY, USA). Five bottles of each drug were measured. The mean actual volume, mean actual number of drops, volume per drop, daily cost, yearly cost, and per mmHg reduction cost for each drug were calculated. Results. The volumes per drop ranged from 32.61 ± 2.90 μl (DuoTrav) to 24.38 ± 0.23 μl (Ganfort). The number of usage days per bottle varied from 36 days (DuoTrav) to 61 days (Ganfort). Azarga had the lowest daily cost ($0.23) and yearly cost ($84.72), while DuoTrav had the highest daily cost ($0.79) and yearly cost ($287.02). Azarga costed $2.17–$3.30 per mmHg intraocular pressure reduction, which was lower than the other three drugs. For the prostaglandin and ß-adrenergic blocker FCs, Ganfort had the lowest daily cost ($0.35) and per mmHg reduction cost (from $3.40 to $4.04). Conclusions. The daily costs of these drugs were significantly different, with Azarga having the lowest daily cost and best cost effectiveness. For the prostaglandin and β-adrenergic blocker fixed combinations, Ganfort was the most economical choice with its lower daily cost and per mmHg reduction cost. The results of this study could provide drug selection guidance from an economic perspective, but various factors should be considered when making a decision.