To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Pegaptanib Demonstrates Excellent Real-Life Visual Acuity Outcomes for Patients With Age-Related Macular Degeneration: Presented at ARVO URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/220672.htm Doctor's Guide April 30, 2008
By Micheal Casasnovas FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla -- April 30, 2008 -- Pegaptanib treatment to maintain gains in age-related macular degeneration actually may be better in a real-world setting than the good results seen in clinical trials, doctors stated here at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO 2008). Once every 6 weeks, injections of pegaptanib sodium -- a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor -- allowed more than 90% of patients to maintain their visual acuity for at least 24 weeks, according to results of a study led by Miss Sobha Sivaprasad, MS, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Moorsfield Eye Hospital, London, United Kingdom. "The current real-life visual acuity outcomes with pegaptanib at 24 weeks appear to be more favourable than those reported in the VISION [VEGF-Inhibition Study in Ocular Neovascularization] trial at 1 year, despite the fact that PRN dosing schedule was used in this group of patients," Dr. Sivaprasad reported at a poster presentation on April 27. Dr. Sivaprasad and colleagues performed a retrospective chart review and audit of 164 patients from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Germany, and Spain who had exudative age-related macular degeneration. Researchers enrolled consecutive patients who met the criteria of any angiographic subtype of subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation secondary to age-related macular degeneration, with best-corrected visual acuity in the study eye of 20/40 to 20/320. All subjects received first-line treatment with intravitreal pegaptanib 0.3 mg every 6 weeks at baseline for 2 cycles followed by PRN dosing at subsequent evaluations through week 24. Dr. Sivaprasad and colleagues utilised the last observation carried-forward method for missing data at postbaseline visits to calculate descriptive statistics. Postbaseline evaluation responder rates of >90% were observed, while visual-acuity outcomes were independent of lesion subtype and size. Improvements in visual acuity occurred within 6 weeks and were maintained throughout the evaluation period. Researchers found that vision loss stopped by week 6 and that visual acuity remained stabilised through week 24. In the chart review, 63% of patients maintained their level of visual acuity. About 39% of patients experienced a visual acuity improvement of 5 letters or more, 25% of patients recorded an improvement of 10 letters or more, and 15% of patients improved by 15 letters or more. "This audit indicates that maintenance therapy may be achieved with a selective anti-VEGF agent such as pegaptanib sodium," concluded Dr. Sivaprasad. "Further studies are proposed to assess the outcome of an induction regimen using a pan-VEGF blocker, followed by maintenance with a selective VEGF blocker." The original VISION study was conducted by Pfizer, Inc, and funding for this study was provided by Pfizer, Inc. [Presentation title: Intravitreal Pegaptanib Sodium for Choroidal Neovascularization Secondary to Age-Related Macular Degeneration -- A Pan-European Experience. Abstract D656] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.