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No difference in visual acuity at 6 months in head-to-head trial of bevacizumab, ranibizumab
Am J Ophthalmol. 2009;148(6):875-882.
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Results from a single-center, randomized clinical trial of 20 patients showed no difference in efficacy between the two most popular anti-VEGF agents currently used for treating age-related macular degeneration.
In the study, no patients lost more than 15 letters on the ETDRS chart at 6 months of follow-up. Average preinjection visual acuity was 31.6 letters in the 13 patients who received Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) and 30.4 letters in the seven patients who received Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech). At 6 months, visual acuity improved to 46.4 letters in the bevacizumab group and 37.4 letters in the ranibizumab group; however, the difference was not statistically significant, according to the study.
"One possible explanation for the visual acuity results seen in both groups may be the much higher percentage of predominantly classic [choroidal neovascularization] in the bevacizumab group compared to the ranibizumab group," the study authors said.
After a loading dose of three injections delivered monthly, patients were reinjected based on changes in optical coherence topography. Patients in the bevacizumab group received an average of five injections, whereas patients in the ranibizumab group received an average of four injections.
Change in central macular thickness was seen in both groups (mean of –35 µm in the bevacizumab group vs. mean of –102 µm in the ranibizumab group), but the difference was not statistically significant.