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Ranibizumab improves vision-related function in neovascular AMD
Monday, November 19 2007 | Comments
What's This?
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Ranibizumab produces "meaningful" improvements in vision-related function and quality of life in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a report in the November issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology."This is the first time that we have been able to demonstrate a statistically and clinically significant increase in vision-related quality of life in patients treated for wet AMD," Dr. Tom S. Chang from the Retina Institute of California, Pasadena, told Reuters Health.
Dr. Chang and colleagues investigated the effects of ranibizumab (Lucentis; Genentech) on patient-reported vision-related function in a randomized clinical trial (MARINA) of 716 patients with neovascular ("wet") age-related AMD. They were randomized to monthly intravitreal injections of ranibizumab 0.3 mg or 0.5 mg, or sham injections.
Vision-related function at 12 and 24 months improved significantly in patients treated with ranibizumab but declined in sham injected patients, the authors report.
Ranibizumab-treated patients experienced improvements in all three scales -- near activities, distance activities, and vision-specific dependency.
This confirms what "ophthalmologists have suspected but not proved prior," Dr. Chang said. "Although it stands to reason that improved vision would lead to improved independence, this study not only confirms this in a scientifically rigorous manner but also gives a measurable quantity that has been documented as being clinically important to patients."
The cumulative percentage of ranibizumab-treated patients that improved by 10 or more points on the Visual Function Questionnaire 25 was about twice as high as sham-treated patients, the report indicates.
"Treatment of wet AMD with injections of ranibizumab improved visual function even if the other eye had normal functional vision (i.e., 20/20)," Dr. Chang noted. "This confirms the need to treat wet AMD even if the other eye is normal."
Wet AMD "can have a devastating effect to a patient's physical, mental, and visual well-being. Prompt and appropriate treatment can significantly impact this potential loss," Dr. Chang concluded.
Arch Ophthalmol 2007;125:1460-1469.
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