Comparative study of timolol gel versus timolol solution for patients with glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: The timolol gel was developed for the simplification of multi-dose medications for glaucoma patients. This gel can be used once per day instead of twice per day of the aqueous form. It is necessary to understand the clinical effects of intraocular pressure maintained in glaucoma by there two forms of timolol. METHODS: Fifty-two eligible patients were included and completed the 12-week study. In this randomized, open-label, two-period crossover study design, patients received either the gel form of 0.5% timolol once daily or the aqueous form of 0.5% timolol twice daily for the first 6 weeks, then crossed over to the other treatment form for the remaining 6 weeks. Intraocular pressure was measured at baseline, week 6 and week 12 at the end of the treatment period. The incidences of all the adverse events were recorded and summarized in each follow-up visit. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in intraocular pressure was observed between the two different control treatment groups (p>0.05). However, stickiness and transient blurred vision was reported more often by patients using the gel form than the aqueous form of timolol. CONCLUSIONS: The gel form of 0.5% timolol used once daily offers a new alternative that is probably more convenient than the aqueous form of 0.5% timolol given twice daily in maintaining the intraocular pressure of patients with glaucoma.