115,000 Glaucoma Patients Get Daily Eye Drops That Prevent Blindness – First New Treatment for the ‘Silent Thief of Sight’ in 25 Years

For the first time in 25 years, glaucoma patients could benefit from a new treatment to combat this debilitating eye condition.

The eye drops, which are administered once a day, help prevent patients from going blind by counteracting the build-up of pressure in the eyeball.

The treatment, called Roclanda, was approved last month by the NHS spending regulator based on research showing it is as effective but safer than currently available eye drops.

It is expected that around 115,000 people in the UK will benefit from this.

Ms Nishani Amerasinghe, a glaucoma specialist at University Hospital Southampton, describes Roclanda as a ‘game-changer’.

“We haven’t had anything new for glaucoma patients for over 20 years,” she says, “so this is a really exciting treatment.”

The vision loss caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed, but treatments can slow it down. Pictured: Stock photo

Glaucoma affects more than 700,000 people in the UK, most of whom are over 70. It occurs when the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged.

It is usually caused by fluid buildup in the front of the eye. There are several types of glaucoma, but most patients suffer from primary open-angle glaucoma, which is caused when the drainage channels in the eye become blocked. People with a family history of the disease are more likely to be affected. It is also associated with diabetes.

The vision loss caused by glaucoma cannot be reversed, but treatments can slow it.

Some patients are offered laser treatment or surgery to relieve fluid blockages in the eye. However, the most common treatment is pressure-lowering eye drops, applied once or twice daily.

These include low strength drops such as bimatoprost or latanoprost. If these don’t work stronger options are prescribed such as a treatment called timolol.

Timolol and other similarly potent eye drops, while effective, are not suitable for patients with underlying health conditions.

This includes people with heart problems, low blood pressure and asthma. These problems are more common in older adults.

However, Roclanda, a combination of latanoprost and a drug called netarsudil, is safe for patients with these conditions.

Glaucoma affects more than 700,000 people in the UK, most of whom are over 70. Pictured: Stock photo

According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the watchdog that decides whether the NHS will fund new treatments, Roclanda will be offered to patients with primary open-angle glaucoma who cannot have surgery and have not responded to low-strength eye drops.

Experts say the rollout of Roclanda – which is due to be available from October – comes at a crucial time, with record numbers of people needing eye care through the NHS. More than 620,000 patients are currently on the waiting list to see an eye specialist, with 17,000 waiting for more than a year.

Since 2019, more than 550 patients have lost their sight as a result of this backlog, according to a request under the Government Information (Public Access) Act carried out last year by the Association of Optometrists.

Last month, Labour announced plans to send patients to Specsavers and other high street opticians for routine scans and checks, freeing up NHS specialists to focus on treating problems such as glaucoma. Roclanda is also expected to help ease the crisis.

Joanna Hodgkinson, head of research at the charity Glaucoma UK, said: ‘The more treatment options available, the greater the chance that a patient will receive a treatment that suits them and protects their sight.’