First European patients undergo AMD treatment with NeoVista system

FREMONT, Calif. — The first European patients have been treated for wet age-related macular degeneration with NeoVista's Vidion ANV Therapy System, an epimacular brachytherapy device that delivers a single dose of therapeutic radiation, the manufacturer announced in a press release.

The Vidion system is undergoing phase 3 clinical trials for U.S. Food and Drug Administration marketing approval. The device proved safe and effective in preliminary clinical trials, the release said.

Stanislao Rizzo, MD, of S. Chiara Hospital, Pisa, Italy, treated the initial group of patients with the Vidion ANV Therapy System. The release did not specify the number of patients treated or detail initial outcomes.

The Vidion system, which delivers a targeted dose of strontium-90 beta ionizing radiation to the affected area of the retina, may prove to be a viable alternative to continuous injections of anti-VEGFs, the current standard of care for wet AMD, according to the company.

The device minimizes systemic radiation exposure and exposure of adjacent tissues, the release said.

For more information go to www.maculardegenerationassociation.org