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Fewer injections may be needed with triamcinolone therapy for DME
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Fewer injections were needed in patients with diabetic macular edema when either triamcinolone monotherapy or combined bevacizumab-triamcinolone therapy was used compared with bevacizumab alone, according to a study.
Researchers evaluated the efficacy of Avastin (bevacizumab, Genentech) and triamcinolone (Ophthalmos Pharmaceutical Industry) in combination and alone in 111 patients with DME from eight clinical sites in Brazil. The primary outcome was visual acuity at 6 months.
Patients were assigned to one of three treatment groups. The bevacizumab-alone group included 39 patients, the triamcinolone-alone group included 38 patients, and the combined treatment group included 34 patients.
The bevacizumab patients received the highest average number of injections at 3.2. The combined group received an average of 2.4 injections, and the triamcinolone group received an average of 2.1 injections.
All three groups experienced statistically significant improvements at 6 months for visual acuity and foveal retinal thickness compared with baseline values (P < .001). The bevacizumab group presented with 0.73 logMAR and improved to 0.48 logMAR at week 24. The triamcinolone group presented with 0.77 logMAR and improved to 0.46 logMAR. The combined group presented with 0.83 logMAR and improved to 0.63 logMAR.
According to the researchers, no synergistic effects in the combined group were seen in the final visual acuity or macular thickness improvements. However, the combination therapy or the triamcinolone monotherapy may decrease the number of injections. – by Robert Linnehan
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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