Lucentis, a drug used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) was found to not only slow down vision loss in 90% of patients, but it also helped 26% of them get some of their vision back, say Lucentis makers, Genentech, Inc.
Wet AMD is the leading cause of blindness among the elderly.
Lucentis prevents the formation of abnormal, new blood vessels in the eye. It also destroys blood vessels in the eye which have started to leak.
You can read about the latest studies in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).
In one study, 716 volunteers underwent an eye chart test. They all suffered from AMD. Half the group received Lucentis injection, while the other half received a placebo injection.Two years later:
— 90% of the Lucentis patients lost fewer than 15 letters on the eye chart test
— 50% of the placebo patients lost fewer than 15 letters on the eye chart test
— 26% of patients who received 0.3mg of Lucentis experienced improvement in their eyesight*
— 33% of patients who received 0.5mg of Lucentis experienced improvement in their eyesight*
— 4% of patients who received the placebo experienced improvement in their eyesight*
* Improvement = Being able to read 15 more letters on the eye chart test
Ranibizumab for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Philip J. Rosenfeld, M.D., Ph.D., David M. Brown, M.D., Jeffrey S. Heier, M.D., David S. Boyer, M.D., Peter K. Kaiser, M.D., Carol Y. Chung, Ph.D., Robert Y. Kim, M.D., for the MARINA Study Group
NEJM Volume 355:1419-1431 – October 5, 2006 – Number 14
Ranibizumab versus Verteporfin for Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration
David M. Brown, M.D., Peter K. Kaiser, M.D., Mark Michels, M.D., Gisele Soubrane, M.D., Jeffrey S. Heier, M.D., Robert Y. Kim, M.D., Judy P. Sy, Ph.D., Susan Schneider, M.D., for the ANCHOR Study Group
NEJM Volume 355:1432-1444 – October 5, 2006 – Number 14
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today