Summary
Betaxolol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Glaucoma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Glaucoma. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 4 registered trials linking Betaxolol to Glaucoma: 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 2 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT02617459). The largest enrolment is 1500 participants (NCT07074782). Registration activity spans 1992 to 2026. The literature layer holds 11 publications for this pair: 1 Cochrane review, 4 meta-analyses, 1 systematic review and 5 clinical trial publications. Publication years run from 2001 to 2023. Because at least one synthesis-level source exists (systematic review, meta-analysis or Cochrane review), this pair has been assessed beyond single studies, although the synthesis may concern a different indication.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Glaucoma ranks 339 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: Progressive optic nerve damage without treatment; average visual field loss 0.5-1.0 dB/year; blindness in 10-20% without treatment; no spontaneous recovery of lost vision.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 64.0 (trials 14.0, literature 30.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 4 total: 0 recruiting, 1 active / not yet recruiting, 2 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 11 (5 clinical trial publications, 4 meta-analyses, 1 Cochrane review, 1 systematic review) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ADRA2C |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02617459 | Levobetaxolol Hydrochloride Eye Drops for Treatment of Primary Open-angle Glaucoma or Ocular Hypertension 2019 | completed | Phase 3 | 366 |
| NCT00061542 | Safety and Efficacy Study of BETOPTIC S 0.25% and Timolol Gel-forming Solution 0.25% and 0.5% in Pediatric Patients With Glaucoma or Ocular Hypertension 2003 | completed | Phase 3 | 105 |
| NCT00000132 | Early Manifest Glaucoma Trial (EMGT) 1992 | status unknown | Phase 3 | — |
| NCT07074782 | Retinal Ganglion Cell Neuroprotection Under Prostaglandin Analogues 2026 | not yet recruiting | Not applicable | 1,500 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Long-term Impact of Immediate Versus Delayed Treatment of Early Glaucoma: Results From the Early Manifest Glaucoma TrialHeijl A, Peters D, Bengtsson B · American journal of ophthalmology · 2023 · PMID 37142174
- Clinical trial publication The prophylactic effect of betaxolol 0.5% versus brimonidine 0.2% on IOP elevation after Nd:YAG laser posterior capsulotomyElmi Sadr N, Saber E, Paknazar F · Clinical & experimental optometry · 2022 · PMID 34753412
- Meta-analysis Short-term efficacy of latanoprostene bunod for the treatment of open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension: a systematic literature review and a network meta-analysisHarasymowycz P, Royer C, Cui AX et al. · The British journal of ophthalmology · 2022 · PMID 33397657
- Systematic review Medical management of pediatric glaucoma: lessons learned from randomized clinical trialsSacchi M, Lizzio RAU, Villani E et al. · Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2020 · PMID 32483675
- Clinical trial publication Direct and crossover effects of brinzolamide, betaxolol, and latanoprost on choroidal thicknessOkutucu M, Fındık H, Arslan MG · Cutaneous and ocular toxicology · 2019 · PMID 30719935
- Meta-analysis Comparative Effectiveness of First-Line Medications for Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysisLi T, Lindsley K, Rouse B et al. · Ophthalmology · 2016 · PMID 26526633
- Clinical trial publication Efficacy of combined administration of 0.2% brimonidine and 0.5% betaxolol in treatment of primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertensionChi W, Li A, Wang S et al. · Eye science · 2013 · PMID 24961091
- Clinical trial publication Effects of argon laser trabeculoplasty in the Early Manifest Glaucoma TrialHeijl A, Peters D, Leske MC et al. · American journal of ophthalmology · 2011 · PMID 21843876
- Meta-analysis A network meta-analysis combined direct and indirect comparisons between glaucoma drugs to rank effectiveness in lowering intraocular pressurevan der Valk R, Webers CA, Lumley T et al. · Journal of clinical epidemiology · 2009 · PMID 19716679
- Cochrane review Intraocular pressure-lowering effects of all commonly used glaucoma drugs: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trialsvan der Valk R, Webers CA, Schouten JS et al. · Ophthalmology · 2005 · PMID 15921747
- Meta-analysis Clinical and economic impact of new trends in glaucoma treatmentMarchetti A, Magar R, An P et al. · MedGenMed : Medscape general medicine · 2001 · PMID 11549985
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRA2C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Betaxolol approved for Glaucoma?
Betaxolol has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Glaucoma would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Glaucoma. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Betaxolol in clinical trials for Glaucoma?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 4 registered trials linking Betaxolol to Glaucoma: 1 is active or not yet recruiting; 2 have completed; 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 3 (NCT02617459). The largest enrolment is 1500 participants (NCT07074782). Registration activity spans 1992 to 2026.
What does the evidence show for Betaxolol in Glaucoma?
Betaxolol has both completed registered trials and synthesis-level publications linked to Glaucoma. That is the strongest profile in this database, but the summaries here do not extract effect sizes, so read the linked reviews for direction and magnitude of benefit. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in DGIdb, in this case via the biomarker or target ADRA2C. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.