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LUCAS study shows equivalence between anti-VEGF drugs following inject-and-extend regimen
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LONDON – A prospective study comparing the safety and efficacy of anti-VEGF treatment for age-related macular degeneration with ranibizumab and bevacizumab in nine clinical centers in Norway showed equivalent effects on vision, a need for more injections with bevacizumab, and a small and comparable number of serious adverse events.
The LUCAS study enrolled 441 patients randomly assigned to receive ranibizumab (Lucentis, Genentech) or bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) in an inject-and-extend regimen. One injection was performed at every visit, initially every 4 weeks, until no signs of active neovascularization was seen. The next treatment interval was then extended by 2 weeks at a time to a maximum of 12 weeks. In case of recurrence, the interval was shortened by 2 weeks at a time until the disease was considered inactive.
Karina Berg
“At 1 year, VA significantly increased in both groups by a mean of 8 letters. This was achieved with an average of eight injections in the Lucentis group and nine injections in the Avastin group. Retinal thickness was significantly reduced in both groups,” Karina Berg, MD, said here at the Euretina Congress of the study.
Serious systemic events were reported in 10 patients in the Lucentis group and three patients in the Avastin group, including myocardial infarction, stroke and death due to vascular causes. This unexpected difference was due to the higher number of patients with previous cardiac events in the Lucentis group, Berg said.
Other systemic events were balanced between the groups, altogether a small number of patients, she said.
Disclosure: Berg is a member of the Bayer advisory board for Eylea.