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Microplasmin injection may offer a nonsurgical treatment option for vitreomacular traction
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INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Intravitreal injection of microplasmin may be effective as a nonsurgical treatment for vitreomacular traction, according to results of the phase 2 MIVI-2T trial presented here.
"Microplasmin is able to nonsurgically induce traction release in 40% [of patients] and macular hole closure in half of the patients," said Peter Stalmans, MD, PhD, at the annual meeting of the American Society of Retina Specialists.
At three centers in Belgium, Dr. Stalmans and colleagues investigated the ability of a single intravitreal microplasmin injection to induce posterior vitreous detachment and nonsurgically relieve vitreomacular traction in 30 patients. Of these patients, 12 were randomly assigned to treatment with a 75-µg microplasmin injection, 12 were assigned to treatment with a 125-µg injection and six received a sham injection.
Four microplasmin-treated patients and two control patients had macular holes.
Posterior vitreous detachment was induced in four microplasmin-treated patients and in none of the control patients. Also, vitreomacular traction resolved in nine microplasmin-treated patients and two control patients, Dr. Stalmans said.
In addition, two macular holes in patients treated with microplasmin were closed, but neither of the two macular holes seen in control patients had closed.
In terms of vision, four microplasmin-injected patients had at least a three line improvement, while there was no improvement in vision among control patients.
"Regarding the safety, we found that the study drug was well-tolerated," Dr. Stalmans said.