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OSN Retina 150 Survey
Do you anticipate that the recent FDA approval of 0.3-mg intravitreal Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech) dosed monthly for DME will increase your patient load?
David G. Telander
It is very exciting to see in the clinical trials that Lucentis injections improved vision for patients with diabetic macular edema. I believe the FDA approval of ranibizumab will increase our treatment of patients with diabetic macular edema for several reasons. First, the FDA’s approval reinforces the recent clinical trial data showing the benefit of anti-VEGF therapy, specifically Lucentis, for diabetic macular edema (DME). Many patients look to the FDA for guidance for appropriate therapy of their conditions. Also, many doctors will see this approval as a reason to refer their patients with diabetic macular edema for additional treatment. Retina specialists who have already been using triamcinolone and Avastin for their patients with DME will likely continue to use these medicines, as they have been used regularly in the clinics already. Lucentis will be a nice addition, and I plan to use it initially with patients who have not responded well to my other treatments.
– David G. Telander, MD, PhD
Disclosure: Telander has no relevant financial disclosures.
If you are already using off-label bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) for management of chronic diffuse DME, how do you plan to incorporate Lucentis 0.3 mg?
Jonathan Prenner
Because of our primary insurance carriers’ coverage policies, we have been able to use ranibizumab extensively outside of clinical trials to treat diabetic macular edema (DME). Our experience has been overwhelmingly positive. When we have investigated our experience to date, we have seen a significant advantage in terms of anatomic and visual improvement in eyes treated with ranibizumab as compared to those treated with bevacizumab for DME. Many of our patients who have proven somewhat recalcitrant to bevacizumab for DME have responded very well to ranibizumab. In addition, naïve DME patients have also done extremely well in terms of anatomic and visual improvement.
– Jonathan Prenner, MD
Disclosure: Prenner is equity owner in Ophthotech and is a consutant for Panoptica, Neurotech, Genentech and Regeneron.
Have you used Lucentis 0.5 mg (the original approved dose for wet AMD and RVO) for the treatment of DME prior to the recent approval of Lucentis 0.3 mg for DME? If so, in how many patients?
