New ways to help treat glaucoma

After a prolonged standstill in glaucoma treatment, a new drug has been released that has been shown to dramatically improve treatment, according to The Glaucoma Research Foundation.

Glaucoma is caused when the pressure inside the eye becomes too high and slowly damages the optic nerve, leading to total blindness over time. While treatment options include lasers and surgery, more than 95 percent of patients are initially treated with eye drops.

The new drug, Vyzulta, is the first new class of eye drops to be released since 2001. It combines traditional drops with a new ingredient that dramatically reduces pressure in the eye. Because the ingredients are combined into a single, once-a-day drop, patients have shown much higher rates of adherence which is essential to stopping the progression of the disease over time.

Since the 1990s, prostaglandin analogs (PGAs) have been the primary ingredient in glaucoma eye drop treatment.

Glaucoma is currently the second leading cause of blindness globally. Researchers estimate that the number of Americans afflicted is more than 3 million but only half are aware they have the disease. Unfortunately, most people do not submit to the dilated eye exam which is the best way to detect early signs of glaucoma and begin treatment.

Another new drug will be available in January 2019. Rhopressa works by decreasing the resistance to fluid drainage and, in that way, reducing eye pressure.