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FDA Approves New Glaucoma Drug Combigan
November 3, 2007 — Allergan, Inc. has announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Combigan™, an alpha adrenergic receptor agonist with a beta adrenergic receptor inhibitor, for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension who require adjunctive or replacement therapy due to inadequately controlled IOP.
Treatment Expands Allergan’s Glaucoma Portfolio
Combigan (brimonidine tartrate/timolol maleate ophthalmic solution) 0.2%/0.5%, is the newest addition to Allergan’s glaucoma portfolio, which also includes Lumigan® and Alphagan® P. “Combigan ophthalmic solution is a medication that provides well documented safety and efficacy for patients with inadequately controlled IOP,” said Scott Whitcup, MD, Allergan’s Executive Vice President, Research and Development. “The development of Combigan, which has included five key clinical studies, underscores Allergan’s commitment to provide new treatment options for patients with glaucoma.”
Combigan is a prescription eye drop that works in two ways to reduce elevated IOP and will be available to physicians in the fourth quarter of 2007. Elevated IOP is a leading risk factor for glaucoma, and the only risk factor that can currently be treated.
“There is no cure for glaucoma; however, lowering elevated IOP can slow the progression of the disease and help prevent further vision loss,” said E. Randy Craven, M.D., Director of Glaucoma Consultants of Colorado and Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Colorado School of Medicine. “Many patients require more than one medication to meet their target IOP. With Combigan, it is exciting to be able to offer patients two strong agents in one bottle.”
In the 12-month pivotal trials, Combigan significantly reduced mean IOP up to 7.6 mm Hg from baseline and was well tolerated. Clinical studies found that Combigan ophthalmic solution provided an additional IOP lowering versus either brimonidine or timolol, the two agents included in the formulation of Combigan, used alone.
Combigan administered twice a day provided an additional 1 to 3 mm Hg decrease in IOP over brimonidine treatment three times a day and an additional 1 to 2 mm Hg decrease over timolol treatment twice a day. The IOP lowering of Combigan ophthalmic solution dosed twice a day was slightly less than that seen with the concomitant administration of timolol maleate ophthalmic solution 0.5% dosed twice a day and brimonidine tartrate ophthalmic solution 0.2% dosed three times per day.