At 12 months, JAT showing better results than TAP study

NAGOYA, Japan — At 1 year, results from the Japanese AMD Trial (JAT) for photodynamic therapy for the treatment of choroidal neovascularization show Japanese patients are responding better to treatment than their American and European counterparts in the Treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration with Photodynamic Therapy (TAP) study.

In the JAT after 12 months, approximately 50% of patients were no longer in need of laser treatment, according to Fumio Shiraga, MD. There was no significant leakage in 50% of the patients. Dr. Shiraga also said there has been an 86% improvement in visual acuity among patients in the JAT, compared with 67% of patients in the TAP study. Dr. Shiraga reported findings here at the Third Annual Ocular Surgery News Symposium.

Dr. Shiraga noted that the patients in the JAT and TAP studies have some similar characteristics. But differences are that the JAT has 64 patients vs. 402 in the TAP study. He also said baseline lesion size in patients in the JAT was generally smaller than those of patients in the TAP study. There are also more occult CNV in patients in JAT, he added.

Dr. Shiraga said that according to the TAP study, PDT is effective for predominantly classic but not for occult CNV. He said that the JAT results at 12 months show that PDT would be an effective treatment for Japanese patients with either form of AMD.

While PDT is not currently available in Japan, Dr. Shiraga recommends PDT for treatment of AMD because of the minimal complications and ease of performing the procedure.