PDT effective for pathologic myopia, histoplasmosis up to 5 years in extension trials

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Visual acuity remained stable or improved in patients with pathologic myopia or histoplasmosis treated with verteporfin photodynamic therapy for up to 5 years, according to two studies presented here.

“This is good news for patients. Very few patients lost lines over time and most remained stable from baseline compared to patients who received placebo,” Gisele Soubrane, MD, told attendees at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology meeting.

Dr. Soubrane presented data from an open-label extension study of the Verteporfin in Photodynamic Therapy (VIP) trial. One-hundred twenty patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to pathologic myopia who were enrolled in the VIP trial continued in the extension study.

“We wanted to see if there was any benefit to a longer duration of therapy,” Dr. Soubrane said. Patients in the extension trial received standard verteporfin PDT at a mean of 0.4 treatments during the third year. Visual acuity remained stable for most patients at 5 years, as compared to a rapid decrease of vision seen in patients in the original trial treated with placebo at 6 and 24 months.

“Based on our results, photodynamic therapy will not be required for a lifetime,” Dr. Soubrane added.

A second extension study of 22 patients from the Verteporfin in Ocular Histoplasmosis Study, presented by Tim A. Aaberg, MD, also showed good outcomes. Patients with subfoveal CNV secondary to ocular histoplasmosis were followed for 48 months with standard verteporfin PDT. By the fourth year, 73% of patients gained five or more letters of visual acuity and 20% of patients lost less than 15 letters compared to baseline. A mean improvement of two lines of vision was noted, Dr. Soubrane said.