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CATT 1-year results show comparable outcomes for two anti-VEGFs
 Daniel F. Martin |
LONDON — Head-to-head comparison of two anti-VEGFs showed virtually no difference between the drugs in safety and efficacy at 1 year, according to a speaker here.
The Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment Trials (CATT) compared Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) and Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech).
"A marginally significant different rate of nonspecific severe adverse event in favor of Lucentis requires further investigation," Daniel F. Martin, MD, chief study investigator, said at the Euretina meeting.
The study enrolled 1,208 patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration at 44 sites in the U.S. In the first two arms of the study, ranibizumab and bevacizumab were administered monthly for 1 year; in the second two arms, an as-needed regimen was adopted after a single injection.
"Virtually identical visual outcomes were achieved with the two drugs, with a slightly higher letter gain with monthly dosing. Anatomic results were also comparable. No difference was found in the rate of mortality, stroke and myocardial infarction," Dr. Martin said.
Dr. Martin recommended caution in relation to the higher rate of severe adverse events in the bevacizumab groups compared to the ranibizumab groups (24% vs. 19%).
"These adverse events were broadly distributed among all organs, might be unrelated to anti-VEGFs, and the different rate might reflect unbalances at baseline since patients in the Avastin group had by chance a mean age of 1 year more, a higher number of smokers and of various medical conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, arrhythmia and emphysema," Dr. Martin said.
"Whether this difference should be interpreted as a true risk will be clarified in the second year of the study," he said.
- Disclosure: Dr. Martin has no relevant financial disclosures.