Newly diagnosed exudative age-related macular degeneration treated with pegaptanib sodium monotherapy in US community-based practices: medical chart review study

Studies have shown that early detection and treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NV-AMD) can delay vision loss and blindness. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy/safety of intravitreal pegaptanib sodium monotherapy in treatment-naive subjects with newly diagnosed neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NV-AMD) and to gain insight into characteristics of lesions treated in community-based practices.

Methods: From seven private US practices, charts were retrospectively reviewed on 73 subjects with previously untreated subfoveal choroidal NV-AMD treated with their first dose of pegaptanib monotherapy on/after 4/1/2005 through 6/5/2006, receiving [greater than or equal to]4 treatments at 6-week intervals over 21-weeks.

Primary endpoint: mean visual acuity (VA) change from baseline to month 6.

Results: 75% of lesions were occult, and 82% were subfoveal. From baseline to month 6, mean VA change was -0.68 lines; 58% and 16% gained [greater than or equal to]0 and [greater than or equal to]3 lines of VA, and 70% were responders (<3 lines lost).

In 35 subjects with early disease, 80% were responders with a mean gain of 0.46 lines.

Conclusion: Pegaptanib is effective in real-world patients with treatment-naive NV-AMD in uncontrolled community-based retina practices.

Author: Pamela WeberBarbara WirostkoXiao XuThomas GossGergana Zlateva
Credits/Source: BMC Ophthalmology 2010, 10:2

Published on: 2010-02-09

Copyright by the authors listed above - made available via BioMedCentral (Open Access). Please make sure to read our disclaimer prior to contacting 7thSpace Interactive. To contact our editors, visit our online helpdesk. If you wish submit your own press release, click here.

Comments Page 0 of 0

There are currently 0 comments to display.

+ Add New Comment

Custom Search