Treatment of ocular hypertension and glaucoma with dopamine antagonists

Abstract

Aqueous humor formation and intraocular pressure in mammals having ocular hypertension or glaucoma may be reduced by topically administering to a hypertensive eye an ophthalmologically acceptable amount of certain dopamine antagonists or acid addition salts thereof. A preferred group of dopamine antagonists is the 4-piperidino-4-fluoro-butyrophenones, especially haloperidol, trifluperidol, and moperone. The phenothiazines are another suitable group of dopamine antagonists. An ophthalmic composition for topically treating glaucoma may comprise an aqueous solution containing 0.01% to 5% by weight of a water-soluble ophthalmologically acceptable acid addition salt of such dopamine antagonist.