Tafluprost meets Phase III endpoint

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) said once-daily tafluprost met the primary endpoint of non-inferiority to twice-daily timolol in a Phase III trial to treat elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Specifically, the difference in the reduction of IOP was less than 1.5 mmHG, the pre-specified non-inferiority margin, at all nine time points during the trial. The double-blind, active-controlled, international trial enrolled 643 patients. Data were presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting in Fort Lauderdale. Tafluprost is a preservative-free, synthetic analog of prostaglandin F2 alpha. ...