Ripasudil Endgame: Role of Rho-Kinase Inhibitor as a Last-Ditch-Stand Towards Maximally Tolerated Medical Therapy to a Patient of Advanced Glaucoma

PURPOSE: To elucidate the use of Ripasudil in patients of advanced glaucoma on maximally tolerated medical therapy who could not be offered the option of surgery due to the global pandemic lockdown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Only patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), who had a cup-disc ratio (CDR) of 0.9 or a near total cupping on maximum tolerated medical therapy for at least 4 weeks and yet could not meet the target IOP were included. Target IOP was defined as ≤12 mm Hg. A total of 30 patients were enrolled. All patients in study cohort were started on E/D Ripasudil BD. Patients were followed up at 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks and then monthly for 6 months for their best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), disc changes (slit lamp biomicroscopy), perimetry, and retinal nerve fibre layer analysis using optical coherence tomography (OCT-RNFL). RESULTS: Mean pre-treatment IOP on five drugs was 18.3 ± 2.1 mm Hg (range 14 to 22mmHg) on maximally tolerated medical therapy. At 1 week follow-up, mean post-treatment IOP was 15.1 ± 1.7 mm Hg (range 12 to 18mmHg) and at 2 week follow-up, mean post-treatment IOP was 12.5 ± 1.9 mmHg (range 10 to 16mmHg). Thus, target IOP ≤12mmHg was attained in 28 patients at 2 weeks. This target IOP was maintained throughout the 6 months of follow-up period. Of the 2 patients who could not meet target IOP, 1 patient needed rearrangement of their fixed-drug-combinations to achieve target IOP at 4 weeks. The second patient required unfixing of all fixed-drug-combinations to achieve target IOP at maximally tolerated medical therapy at 6 weeks. CONCLUSION: Ripasudil not only provides a better IOP control but also has a high safety profile even when started as an add-on drug to already-existing yet inadequate maximally tolerated medical therapy.