Sustained benefits seen in 12-month CRUISE outcomes

Ophthalmology. 2011;118(10):2041-2049

Outcomes from months 6 through 11 of the CRUISE study suggest that as-needed ranibizumab may maintain benefits achieved by six monthly injections in patients with macular edema after central retinal vein occlusion.

"This [study] indicates that after a period of aggressive treatment with ranibizumab, visual benefits can be maintained by close follow-up and treatment if there is evidence of persistent or recurrent disease. What is not answered by this trial is whether even better visual outcomes would have resulted by continuing monthly injections during the second 6 months of the study," the study authors said.

In the prospective, double-masked, multicenter trial, 392 patients were randomized to receive sham therapy or monthly injections of 0.3 mg or 0.5 mg ranibizumab. After 6 months, patients with a best corrected visual acuity of less than or equal to 20/40 or a central subfield thickness of at least 250 µm received ranibizumab.

At 12 months, mean change in BCVA from baseline was 13.9 letters in the 0.3 mg and 0.5 mg treatment groups and 7.3 letters in the sham group. The percentages of patients who gained at least 15 letters from baseline were 47.0% and 50.8% in the 0.3- and 0.5-mg, respectively, and 33.1% in the sham group.

Notably, as-needed treatment with ranibizumab in the sham group resulted in an unequal improvement in BCVA and rapid reduction of central foveal thickness similar to that of the previously treated groups.