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Macugen shows some efficacy in early diabetic retinopathy trial

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LAS VEGAS — A small pilot trial found that a single injection of pegaptanib sodium led to a rapid improvement in vision in patients with diabetic retinopathy, according to a physician speaking here.

Victor H. Gonzalez, MD, presented preliminary findings of the 10-patient study during an OSI/Pfizer-sponsored event held during the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. OSI and Pfizer jointly market Macugen (pegaptanib sodium) in the United States. "The first 6 weeks were so impressive. The 'wow' effect for me was when my staff showed me the results at even 3 weeks," Dr. Gonzalez said.

At 6 weeks follow-up, patients showed a 90% reduction in lesions, and macular edema also showed significant improvement, he said.

In addition, best corrected visual acuity improved by an average of 3.7 letters at 3 weeks follow-up and by 4.9 letters at 6 weeks. At 18 weeks, five patients had improved one line of visual acuity and four patients had improved by two lines, Dr. Gonzalez said.