IntroductionTo evaluate the safety and intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effects of a ripasudil 0.4% ophthalmic solution in Japanese patients with glaucoma and ocular hypertension (OH) as a post-marketing surveillance.MethodsThis was a 2-year prospective observational study in patients with glaucoma or OH who had not previously received ripasudil. Patients registered in the study using a central internet-based system from June 1, 2015 to April 30, 2017. Data on adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and IOP were collected and analysed from the first 3 months of ripasudil treatment.ResultsOf the 3058 patients in the safety analysis set, 3016 had IOP data and were included in the efficacy analysis. ADRs were seen in 244 (8.0%) of the 3058 patients. IOP decreased significantly in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (− 2.9 ± 4.2 mmHg; p < 0.001), normal tension glaucoma (− 1.7 ± 2.4 mmHg; p < 0.001), primary angle-closure glaucoma (− 3.9 ± 5.3 mmHg; p < 0.001), and OH (− 3.8 ± 5.8 mmHg; p < 0.001). Significant IOP reduction was also noted in exfoliation glaucoma (− 3.0 ± 5.5 mmHg; p < 0.001), uveitis-associated glaucoma (− 4.7 ± 7.2 mmHg; p < 0.001) and steroid glaucoma (− 5.5 ± 6.0 mmHg; p < 0.001), but not for neovascular glaucoma (− 2.8 ± 12.1 mmHg; p = 0.669).ConclusionRipasudil was safe and effective in the treatment of glaucoma and OH in Japanese patients, with a low incidence of ADRs or treatment discontinuation, and reduced IOP after 3 months of treatment.FundingKowa Company, Ltd., Tokyo, Japan.

Background: Ripasudil is approved in Japan for glaucoma or ocular hypertension (OH) when other treatments are ineffective or cannot be administered. Its long-term safety and efficacy are being examined in a post-marketing surveillance study; 12-month data are described here. Methods: This prospective, open-label, observational study enrolled patients with glaucoma or OH who started ripasudil during routine care. The key safety outcome was the incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs), focusing on allergy and/or inflammation-related ADRs such as blepharitis (including allergic) or conjunctivitis (including allergic). The primary efficacy endpoint was least squares mean (LSM) ± standard error (SE) change in intraocular pressure (IOP) from baseline to 12 months in all patients and in diagnostic groups. Secondary endpoints were change in IOP in groups stratified by treatment initiation pattern, number of concomitant drugs, and baseline IOP. Results: Overall, 3359 patients (48% male, mean age ± standard deviation [SD] 69.1 ± 12.7 years) were evaluated for safety and 3323 for efficacy. Diagnoses were primary open-angle glaucoma (43.9%), normal-tension glaucoma (36.6%), secondary glaucoma (8.7%), OH (4.2%), and primary closed-angle glaucoma (2.4%). Mean ± SD observation period was 300.1 ± 122.4 days; 1010 patients (30.1%) discontinued ripasudil by 12 months. ADRs occurred in 626 patients (18.6%); the most common were conjunctival hyperemia and blepharitis. Allergy and/or inflammationrelated ADRs occurred in 388 patients (11.6%), most commonly blepharitis (5.6%) and conjunctivitis (4.2%). IOP decreased significantly from a mean ± SD 18.1 ± 6.1 mmHg at baseline; the LSM ± SE IOP change throughout 12 months of ripasudil treatment was − 2.6 ± 0.1 mmHg (− 14.0 ± 0.4%; p < 0.001). A significant decrease in IOP at 12 months was seen in all categories of baseline IOP (p < 0.001), and all types of glaucoma (p < 0.001), except neovascular glaucoma. Ripasudil was associated with a significant reduction in IOP at 12 months whether initiated as monotherapy or in combination with ≤4 concomitant glaucoma therapies (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Ripasudil was safe and effective in patients with glaucoma or OH during routine care. No new safety signals were identified, and significant reductions in IOP were maintained over 12 months.

Introduction: Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness and ripasudil was the first Rho kinase inhibitor approved as antiglaucoma medication. Here we present the final analysis of the ROCK-J study, a large-scale post-marketing surveillance study to evaluate the long-term safety and effectiveness of ripasudil in Japanese patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension in a real-word clinical setting. Methods: ROCK-J was a 24-month, prospective, open-label, observational study that included ripasudil-naı ¨ve patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension who were initiating treatment with ripasudil according to the Japanese approved indication between June 1, 2015 and April 30, 2017. The primary safety endpoint was the incidence of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) (including blepharitis, plus assessment of its background factors); the primary efficacy endpoint was change in intraocular pressure (IOP) from baseline to 24 months. Results: A total of 3374 Japanese patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension were evaluated for safety and 3178 for effectiveness of ripasudil over a mean 524.5-day observational period. Overall, 853 (25.3%) patients experienced adverse drug reactions; the most common were blepharitis (8.6%), conjunctival hyperemia (8.5%), and conjunctivitis (6.3%). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that patients were more likely to experience the ADR blepharitis with ripasudil treatment if they were female (hazard ratio [HR] 1.307; p = 0.040), had comorbid or a previous history of blepharitis (HR 2.178; p = 0.001), or had a history of allergy to pollen (HR 1.645; p = 0.003) or medication (HR 2.276; p \ 0.001). IOP decreased significantly from baseline with ripasudil; the leastsquares mean ± standard error change in IOP from baseline to 24 months was -2.6 ± 0.1 mmHg (p \ 0.001). Significant IOP changes were seen in four types of glaucoma, namely primary open-angle glaucoma, normaltension glaucoma, primary angle-closure glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma, and ocular hypertension. Conclusion: Ripasudil was safe and effective as an antiglaucoma medication with no new safety signals identified and significant reductions in

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

No abstract