Summary
Rosuvastatin 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 ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Rosuvastatin to Glaucoma: 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT00913562). Registered activity dates to 2009. The literature layer holds 2 publications for this pair: 2 Cochrane reviews. Publication years run from 2023 to 2025. 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 | 32.5 (trials 2.5, literature 10.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 0 completed, 1 other |
| Linked publications | 2 (2 Cochrane reviews) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | DGIdb |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ABCA1 |
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trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5).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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT00913562 | Effect of Rosuvastatin on Endothelial Function in Patients With Diabetes and Glaucoma 2009 | withdrawn | Phase 4 | — |
Published literature
- Cochrane review Associations of different types of statins with the risk of open-angle glaucoma: a systematic review and network meta-analysisPan SY, Chen YY, Hsu MY et al. · Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie · 2025 · PMID 39212799
- Cochrane review The Effect of Statins on Ocular Disorders: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled TrialsLymperopoulou C, Kandarakis SA, Tzanaki I et al. · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023 · PMID 37242493
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 ABCA1. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rosuvastatin approved for Glaucoma?
Rosuvastatin 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 Rosuvastatin in clinical trials for Glaucoma?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Rosuvastatin to Glaucoma: 1 is terminated, withdrawn, suspended or of unknown status. The most advanced is Phase 4 (NCT00913562). Registered activity dates to 2009.
What does the evidence show for Rosuvastatin in Glaucoma?
Trials of Rosuvastatin in Glaucoma are registered but none has completed, so there is no outcome evidence from those studies yet; the record is a signal of research interest. 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 ABCA1. 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.