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Low-dose anti-VEGF may stabilize vision in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy
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 Raymond Wee |
BOSTON — Continuous monthly injection of ranibizumab may be well tolerated in patients with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy, but higher dosages may be needed to resolve the branching vascular network, according to a presentation here.
"The visual results are good but not great. They are not as robust as [results from] AMD trials," Raymond Wee, MD, said at the American Society of Retina Specialists meeting.
The prospective, open-label PEARL study assessed use of 0.5 mg Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) on 13 patients who were at least 25 years of age.
At 12 months' follow-up, 23% of patients gained three Snellen lines of visual acuity, and 85% achieved stabilized vision. No adverse events were reported, and all cases had complete resolution of subretinal hemorrhage and reduction of central foveal thickness and macular edema.
"Ranibizumab caused regression of choroidal polyps in 38% of cases, but in none of the cases did the branching vascular network resolve completely. That leads one to wonder whether it is undertreated with the 0.5 mg of ranibizumab," Dr. Wee said.
Suggested therapies include combination therapy or a higher 2-mg dose of ranibizumab, which is currently being evaluated in the PEARL 2 trial.
- Disclosure: Dr. Wee has no financial interest in the products discussed in this article, nor is he a paid consultant for any companies mentioned. This study was partially funded by Genentech.