Similar costs associated with three glaucoma drugs

Two-year follow-up data from patients treated with either latanoprost, travoprost or bimatoprost demonstrates that similar resource consumption outcomes are achieved by all three, as reported by Dr Kobalt and colleagues from European Health Economics in France.

The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term resource consumption (four years) related to the use of three intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering treatments, alone or in combination. Complete two-year data was available for 568 subjects. Baseline distribution was 45% latanoprost, 24% travoprost and 31% bimatoprost. Mean age was 65 years and mean time since diagnosis was 4.2 years.

The total mean costs per patient were €1,286. A total of 32.4% of subjects required a treatment change, including 7.3% who needed surgery, resulting in 30% higher costs (€1,521 versus €1,174) resulting from essential hospitalization and surgery.

It was concluded that all three treatments result in similar resource consumption but that treatment may require changing in around 20% of patients.