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| |  Bevacizumab Useful in Treating Other Conditions Besides Macular Degeneration: Presented at ARVO By Cameron Johnston FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- May 7, 2007 -- Bevacizumab has made a significant mark in the ophthalmology world over the past couple of years as a highly successful treatment for age-related macular degeneration. Now, ophthalmologists in Mexico have discovered that it can also be effective for treating a wide variety of other retinal conditions, including diabetic retinopathy, myopic and idiopathic choroidal neovascularisation, Coats' disease, von Hippel's disease and retinopathy of prematurity, to name but a few. Jose-Luis Guerrero-Naranjo, MD, staff ophthalmologist, retina centre, Asociación para Evitar la Ceguera en México, Mexico City, Mexico, presented the results of a study of bevacizumab in a presentation on May 6th here at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Dr. Guerrero-Naranjo said that bevacizumab has now been used for more than 18 months at his centre, which is the largest ophthalmology centre in the country, treating 250 retinal cases per day. His team conducted a retrospective analysis of the 1,005 female and 913 male patients who were treated with bevacizumab since January 2005. No clinical differences in outcomes were observed regardless of the condition for which the patient was being treated, he said. Patients treated with bevacizumab ranged in age from four weeks to 98 years, with a mean age of 57 years. They were followed for a mean of 24 weeks. Eye conditions for which patients were treated included diabetic retinopathy (n=814: 46%), macular degeneration (n=605: 26%), branch retinal vein occlusion (n=174: 9.8%), central retinal vein occlusion (n=125: 6.6%) and neovascular glaucoma (n=71: 3.7%). Infants with retinopathy of prematurity (n=18: 1%) were included. In all, 19 different conditions were treated. Patients were evaluated for best corrected visual acuity and their retinas were examined with optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography. Patients with age-related macular degeneration received three injections six weeks apart, while those with neovascularisation that was not age related received one or two doses to stabilize the progress of new vessel growth. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy and macular oedema were both treated with bevacizumab combined with laser photocoagulation, Dr. Guerrero-Naranjo said, The result was less membrane peeling, less macular oedema, and reduced intraoperative bleeding. Vascular occlusions were treated with monthly injections and were observed with no further treatment until there was progression of the condition. Retinopathy of prematurity was treated with injections as needed, and resulted in retinal vasculature returning more or less to normal. In many retinal conditions, bevacizumab can be used safely, and effectively to help protect the patient's eyesight, and in some cases, to help restore vision that had been lost through progressive disease, the researchers concluded. However, Dr. Guerrero-Naranjo cautioned that this treatment had no effect in patients with haemangioma, although only five such patients representing only one-quarter of one percent of the total cohort had this condition. Also, the treatment effect wore off quickly in patients with von Hippel's syndrome. On the positive side, patients with myopic choiroidal neovascularisation (n=5) required only one injection each to return their retinas to normal. This study shows that there is a wide potential for use for bevacizumab above and beyond the treatment of age-related macular degeneration, and in most cases, it offers a clear benefit to patients, Dr. Guerrero-Naranjo said. In cases where the benefit is less pronounced there does not appear to be any harmful effect associated with the treatment.
[Presentation title: Experience of 18 Months in the Use of Intravitreal Bevacizumab in a Single Ophthalmology Center. Poster 95/B204]
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