Long-Term Bevacizumab Therapy in Macular Degeneration Patients Appears Safe: Presented at ARVO

By Micheal Casasnovas

Most patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration treated with bevacizumab achieved visual improvement over the course of 30 months without untoward side effects, according to a study presented here at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision Ophthalmology (ARVO).

"This study suggests that a 30-month as-needed therapy with bevacizumab for choroidal neovascularisation in age-related macular degeneration is safe," said Renan Ferreira Oliveira, MD, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil, on May 2.

For this noncomparative, retrospective study, researchers used a consecutive case series of 20 eyes from 16 patients with choroidal neovascularisation caused by age-related macular degeneration who were treated with at least 1 intravitreal injection of bevacizumab and completed a minimum follow-up of 30 months. Patients were excluded from the analysis if they had received prior verteporfin photodynamic therapy, photocoagulation, and intravitreal or periocular injections of triamcinolone, or other antiangiogenic drugs.

Patients who received bevacizumab 1.50 mg were analysed and then examined every 30 to 90 days. Additional treatments were given if the condition worsened after originally showing a positive functional response.

Patients enrolled in this study had a mean age of 75 years (range 59-87); 62.5% were women. They received 1 to 12 injections, but the average patient was injected 5 times.

"After 30 months from the beginning of therapy, best-corrected visual acuity declined in 8 eyes [40%], improved in 7 eyes [35%], and stabilised in 5 eyes [25%]," reported Dr. Oliveira.

No significant ocular or systemic side effects occurred.

"The functional results show that 60% of patients had improved or stabilised visual acuity," said Dr. Oliveira. "However, a large proportion of patients had a vision loss in spite of close ophthalmologic control and multiple intravitreal injections of bevacizumab."

[Presentation title: Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Choroidal Neovascularization in Age-Related Macular Degeneration: 30-Month Results. Abstract A214]