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Anti-VEGF, steroid combination may result in fewer injections

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Use of an injected implant containing steroid in conjunction with anti-VEGF therapy may not yield a difference in visual acuity, but treatment burden of injections may be reduced.

Through 25 weeks of study, there was no difference in visual acuity among patients treated with Ozurdex (dexamethasone intravitreal implant, Allergan) and Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) and patients treated with ranibizumab and sham.

However, Baruch D. Kuppermann, MD, PhD, said at the American Society of Retina Specialists annual meeting, the addition of Ozurdex increased the interval between ranibizumab injections, increased the number of patients who did not require any additional ranibizumab injections beyond the two required in the study and increased the percentage of patients with a final retinal thickness of 250 µm or less.

"There was no difference in visual acuity among patients treated with implant, but with fewer injections," Dr. Kuppermann said.

There was a greater incidence of IOP elevation among patients treated with Ozurdex. There was no difference in cataract formation; however, "this was a 6-month study, so we wouldn't expect that anyway," Dr. Kuppermann said.