Triple therapy with zeaxanthin reduces AMD treatment burden, cost

Issue: January 10, 2016

Triple combination therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration was more cost-effective and dosed less frequently with supplemental zeaxanthin than without the supplement, according to a study.

The comparative interventional study included 543 eyes of 424 patients with subfoveal choroidal neovascularization due to AMD. All eyes underwent triple combination therapy with reduced-fluence photodynamic therapy with verteporfin, intravitreal Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) and intravitreal dexamethasone.

One group of 290 eyes of 210 patients underwent triple therapy without oral zeaxanthin, and the other group of 253 eyes of 214 patients underwent triple therapy with a daily supplement of 20-mg oral zeaxanthin.

All patients underwent re-treatment when necessary and were followed for 2 years.

Over 2 years, the mean number of treatment cycles was 2.8 in the first group and 2.1 in the second group. Vision was stable or improved in 87% of patients in the first group and 83% of patients in the second group.

In the first group, mean visual acuity improved from 20/250 at baseline to 20/200 at 12 months and 24 months, with a mean gain of six ETDRS letters (P < .0001). In the second group, mean visual acuity improved from 20/200 at baseline to 20/160 at 12 months and 24 months, with an average gain of seven ETDRS letters (P < .0001).

CNV developed in 12.5% of fellow eyes in the first group and 6.25% of fellow eyes in the second group; the difference was statistically significant (P = .03).

The average cost-utility ratio was $26,574/quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) in the first group and $19,962/QALY in the second group. – by Matt Hasson

Disclosure: Olk reports he has phantom shares in ZeaVision. See the study for a full list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.

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Source:

Olk JR, et al. Int J Retin Vitr. 2015;doi:10.1186/s40942-015-0019-2.