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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Daniel Morris
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Aims Since its introduction in 1996, brimonidine tartrate 0.2% ophthalmic solution ( Alphagan, Allergan) twice daily has become established as an effective intra ocular pressure-lowering treatment. While the efficacy of Alphagan cannot be questioned, we gained the clinical impression that the drug has an unacceptably high rate of allergy. Of greater concern, we suspected that patients suffering from local Alphagan allergy had a higher rate of allergy to subsequently used topical preparations. We analysed data from a large scale study of glaucoma patients to establish whether our suspicions were correct. Subjects and methods We have created a database of the entire glaucoma treatment histories for consecutive patients attending a single consultant's clinics (DMIM) at Glasgow Royal Infirmary between May 1999 and September 2001. All have undergone medical treatment for primary open angle glaucoma, ocular hypertension, or normal tension glaucoma. Patients with any other form of glaucoma, and patients in whom a full record of treatment was not available were excluded from the study. Results Alphagan was discontinued due to allergy on 73 per 100 000 patient treatment days. This was a far higher frequency than for other preparations. In patients allergic to both Alphagan and another preparation ( Timoptol, Trusopt and Xalatan), the mean interval between the first and second allergy was shorter when Alphagan allergy occurred first. This was statistically significant in Timoptol and Trusopt cross-reactivity. Conclusions Alphagan has high allergenicity, and may increase the likelihood of allergy to subsequently used preparations.
Author(s): Osborne SA, Montgomery DMI, Morris D, McKay IC
Publication type: Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Publication status: Published
Conference Name: Eye: Annual Congress of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists
Year of Conference: 2005
Pages: 129-137
ISSN: 0950-222X
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.eye.6701441
DOI: 10.1038/sj.eye.6701441
Library holdings: Search Newcastle University Library for this item
ISBN: 14765454
