[General substance classification and pharmacology of glaucoma]

Abstract

The pharmaceutical therapy of glaucoma dates back to 1875 when Weber introduced pilocarpine into the medicinal treatment of glaucoma. Since then there has been a continuous development of topical antiglaucoma therapy whereby the main developments date back to the 1980s and 1990s. All forms of medicinal therapy aim at lowering the intraocular pressure and achieve this either by inhibiting aqueous humor secretion into the ciliary body or by enhancing physiological drainage routes along Schlemm's canal. This article gives an overview over the most important classes of antiglaucoma drugs, the indications and contraindications as well as pharmacological characteristics. The focus lies on the market of combination and generic drug preparations that is currently rapidly developing and therefore needs to be discussed in detail.