Intravitreal bevacizumab associated with improved visual acuity

Intravitreal bevacizumab was associated with improved visual acuity, and is well tolerated in patients with age-related macular degeneration, according to a retrospective series.

The study was conducted to determine the short-term safety and biologic effect of the intravitreal treatments of Avastin (Genentech) in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and subvofeal choroidal neovascularization.

“Although bevacizumab was not manufactured and labeled for intravitreal injection, it seemed to be well tolerated in this short series,” the authors wrote.

Robert L. Avery, MD, and colleagues, assessed the safety, Snellen readings, optical coherence tomography (OCT) and angiographic lesion characteristics of 81 eyes in 79 patients who received the intravitreal bevacizumab on a monthly basis until macular edema, subretinal fluid (SRF) and/or pigment epithelial detachment (PED) was resolved, according to the study.

The mean age of the patients was 77 years, and 50 were female and 29 male. All of the patients completed 4-week follow-up visits.

One week following the injection, 55% of patients had a reduction of baseline retinal thickness of more than 10%, according to the study. Four weeks following the injection, 30 of 81 eyes had complete resolution of retinal edema, SRF and PED.

“The data presented in this article demonstrate that a rapid and significant reduction in retinal thickness, SRF, and size of PEDs occurs in many patients after intravitreal administration of bevacizumab,” the authors wrote. “These findings warrant further evaluation through controlled clinical trials.”

Avastin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of colorectal cancer, making it available on an off-label basis for the treatment of AMD, the authors wrote.

The study was published in the March issue of Ophthalmology.