Why carry out this study?

A fixed-dose combination (FDC) therapy to lower intraocular pressure (IOP), consisting of latanoprost and the novel Rho kinase inhibitor netarsudil, has been approved in the USA for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

The 12-month MERCURY-1 and 3-month MERCURY-2 clinical trials demonstrated that the netarsudil/latanoprost FDC lowered IOP significantly more than the individual components, with an acceptable safety profile.

The purpose of this analysis was to pool and analyze data from MERCURY-1 and -2 in order to further characterize netarsudil/latanoprost FDC in a large, combined population.

What was learned from the study?

Efficacy data confirmed the results of the individual studies, indicating significantly superior IOP lowering with the FDC, compared to netarsudil alone and latanoprost alone, at every time point assessed over 3 months.

No new safety signal emerged, with common adverse events of conjunctival hyperemia, cornea verticillata, and conjunctival hemorrhage. No treatment-related serious adverse events were reported.