This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Austrian study shows comparable safety, efficacy of two anti-VEGFs
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
The efficacy and safety profiles of bevacizumab are comparable to ranibizumab, according to the results of a multicenter study carried out in Austria.
The MANTA study was a double-masked prospective multicenter trial, self-financed by the participating centers with the contribution of the Austrian government.
“It was a non-inferiority study based on the data of the MARINA, ANCHOR and FOCUS trials. A total of 320 patients with neovascular AMD were included and randomized to treatment with either 0.5 ranibizumab or 1.25 mg bevacizumab. After three initial monthly injections, patients were seen monthly and treated as needed,” Ilse Krebs, MD, study coordinator, said.
Results showed a comparable increase in distance visual acuity, with patients gaining on average 4.9 lines with Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech/Roche) and 4.1 lines with Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech/Novartis).
“There was no significant difference. The VA increase was faster with Lucentis, but Lucentis also had the higher number of eyes losing lines, and overall VA results were better in the Avastin group,” Krebs said.
Ocular and systemic adverse events were comparable in terms of number and entity in the two groups.
Disclosure: Krebs has no relevant financial disclosures.