Roclanda® (netarsudil 0.02% and latanoprost 0.005%) receives positive recommendation from NICE for patients with primary openangle glaucoma or ocular hypertension

Roclanda® (netarsudil 0.02% and latanoprost 0.005%) receives positive recommendation from NICE for patients with primary openangle glaucoma or ocular hypertension The fixed-dose combination of latanoprost and netarsudil, a novel Rho-kinase (ROCK) inhibitor, has received a positive recommendation for NICE for patients with primary openangle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. 15 th October 2024, London UK Santen, a global specialist in ophthalmology, announced today that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued guidance recommending Roclanda® (netarsudil 0.02% and latanoprost 0.005%) as a cost-effective option for patients with glaucoma. The specific circumstances in which NICE recommends are when a fixed-dose combination treatment has not achieved sufficient IOP reduction, or when a fixed-dose combination treatment containing beta-blockers is unsuitable for patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension (OHT). Roclanda® is a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of latanoprost and netarsudil, a novel Rhokinase (ROCK) inhibitor, that lowers intraocular pressure (IOP) while targeting trabecular meshwork (TM) dysfunction.1,2 POAG affects about 2% of adults older than 40 years in the UK.3 The prevalence for POAG increases with age and it can lead to irreversible vision loss without appropriate treatment. “Roclanda® offers a treatment option in the management of glaucoma and NICE has now recommended it as a cost-effective option for many patients in our care. Evidence shows there is a benefit to addressing both the trabecular and uveoscleral aqueous humour outflow mechanisms to control intraocular pressure to treat POAG and OHT. Having Roclanda® available for eligible patients who may not have other effective options, represents an addition in the medical management of glaucoma”, says Dr Nishani Amerasinghe. "Santen is committed to improving eye health, and we are delighted to receive NICE's recommendation of Roclanda as a cost-effective treatment for glaucoma and ocular hypertension. We are dedicated to finding innovative treatments that will improve the lives of thousands of patients at risk of sight loss across the UK. We are proud to be able to offer the first medicine which has been reviewed and recommended by NICE for the treatment of people with glaucoma in over 25 years” said Craig Wallace, General Manager for the UK and Ireland at Santen. Until now, no currently available medical therapies have directly targeted TM dysfunction 4 , they solely act to lower IOP by primarily targeting uveoscleral outflow and/or AH production. 4,5 * Despite the proven efficacy of currently available topical therapies, some patients still progress to vision loss. 6 As the main pathway responsible for aqueous humour (AH) drainage out of the eye, the TM plays a critical role in maintaining IOP within a normal range. 7,8 Dysfunction of the TM is recognised as a primary cause of increased outflow resistance and subsequent elevation of IOP, making it an underlying primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).9,10,11,12,13,14 By combining netarsudil (200 micrograms/ml), a ROCK inhibitor, with latanoprost (50 micrograms/ml), a proven prostaglandin analogue (PGA), Roclanda® offers complementary mechanisms of action to reduce IOP, increasing AH outflow through both the trabecular and uveoscleral outflow pathways. 1 Please note that any statements regarding Roclanda® should be factual, accurate, fair, objective, balanced and unambiguous. All statements should not include misleading language or superlatives. Quotes should be reflected verbatim et litteratim.