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Glaucoma meds may cost as much as $1.33 per day, as little as $0.38

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Newer glaucoma medications cost about the same per day for U.S. patients as some older medications, a pricing analysis has shown. The newer prostaglandin analogues and derivatives were priced similarly to carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and other older brand-name drugs, the analysis found. Generic beta blockers were the least costly on a daily basis.

Richard Fiscella, RPh, MPH, and others at the University of Chicago performed a prospective study to determine the calculated daily patient cost of glaucoma therapy and to review cost trends of currently marketed medications. Daily costs of the dosage schedules recommended by the manufacturers were compared. The cost of each bottle of medication was determined from the average wholesale price in the United States. The researchers then compared current prices to 1999 prices, where available, to analyze cost trends.

Generic timolol products ranged in price from $0.38 to $0.46 per day, as did Betimol (Santen), Optipranolol (Bausch & Lomb) and Timoptic (Merck). The percentage cost increase since 1999 ranged from 5% to 22%. Generic timolol XE gel-forming solution increased 48% in the same time period.

Betagan (Allergan), Betoptic S (Alcon) and Ocupress (Novartis) ranged in daily cost from $0.88 to $1.11, and the percentage cost increase from 1999 ranged from 37% to 53%.

Topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors such as Azopt (Alcon) and Trusopt (Merck) were almost identical in prices in 1999, but differ now. Azopt has an average daily cost of $1.33, while Trusopt costs about $1.05 per day.

Cosopt (Merck), a combination of timolol and dorzolamide, averaged $1.04 a day, less than the cost of separate bottles of a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and a beta blocker.

Alphagan-P (Allergan), a selective alpha-2 agonist, averaged $1.29 per day for the twice-daily medication.

Prostaglandin-related drugs ranged in average daily prices from $0.90 to $1.25. Rescula (Novartis) was the least expensive of this class of drugs, at $0.90 per day, followed by Lumigan (Allergan) at $0.95 per day, Travatan (Alcon) at $1.01 per day and Xalatan (Pfizer) at $1.25 per day.

The report is published in the July issue of American Journal of Ophthalmology.