Intravitreal ranibizumab injections safely, effectively treat non-AMD CNV

Ophthalmology. 2011;118(1):111-118.

Intravitreal ranibizumab showed potential benefit and a high safety profile in the treatment of choroidal neovascularization resulting from causes other than age-related macular degeneration, a study found.

"Therapies for the treatment of CNV due to causes other than AMD have been limited and have shown marginal efficacy," the study authors said. "The clinical benefit demonstrated by the anti-VEGF agent ranibizumab in large-scale clinical trials for patients with CNV secondary to AMD has prompted the use of anti-VEGF agents for the treatment of CNV due to other causes. Although limited by a small sample size, results from this study show that intravitreal ranibizumab has a promising safety and efficacy profile in the treatment of CNV unrelated to AMD."

The randomized, multicenter clinical trial included 15 patients who received monthly 0.5-mg injections of Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) and 15 patients who received three monthly ranibizumab injections followed by re-treatment as needed during monthly follow-up visits. Four patients did not complete final follow-up.

The 12 available patients in the monthly treatment group received a mean 11.17 injections. The 14 remaining patients in the as-needed treatment group received a mean 5.93 injections.

Study data showed that eight of 12 patients (66.7%) in the monthly treatment group gained at least 15 letters of visual acuity at 6 months and 12 months. Nine of 14 patients (64.3%) in the as-needed treatment group gained at least 15 letters at 6 months; eight of 14 patients (57.1%) in this group gained at least 15 letters at 12 months.

No patients in either group lost 15 or more letters.

The investigators reported similar reductions in central retinal thickness in both groups.

There were no serious ocular or systemic adverse events associated with ranibizumab use or the injection procedure, the study authors said.