The results of the CATT trial demonstrated that Avastin and Lucentis are equally effective for the treatment of wet macular degeneration. A small issue, since the release of that data, appears to be whether Avastin has more side effects than Lucentis. Avastin is as safe (or as dangerous) as Lucentis. The CATT trial results were data from the first year of a 2 year study. The … [Read more...]
Laser and anti-VEGF Best Treats Diabetic Macular Edema
April 27, 2011 By 4 Comments
Treating diabetic retinopathy with both laser and anti-VEGF injections may be the best way to treat patients with diabetic macular edema. Diabetic macular edema is the most common "side effect" of diabetic retinopathy and is the leading cause of vision loss in patients with diabetes. The results of a large, multicenter, randomized clinical trial compared several permutations of laser and the … [Read more...]
Combination Injections for Diabetic Retinopathy
May 12, 2010 By 4 Comments
Injecting both Avastin and a steroid injection can be a useful way to treat stubborn macular edema from diabetic retinopathy. While both can be used alone to treat macular swelling in diabetic patients, the combination is sometimes considered as an alternative. Traditional Laser The gold standard has been to treat diabetic macular edema with laser treatment. This has been a very effective … [Read more...]
Retinal Ischemia: Supply vs. Demand
May 4, 2010 By 2 Comments
Retinal ischemia causes VEGF to be liberated inside the eye. In cases of diabetes this can lead to diabetic retinal detachment or neovascular glaucoma. Treatments included pan-retinal photocoagulation (laser) or anit-VEGF medication such as Lucentis or Avastin. Ischemia results when oxygen supply does not meet oxygen demand to any tissue. Other examples are the heart and legs. With … [Read more...]
New Treatment for Diabetic Eye Disease
April 30, 2010 By 2 Comments
A combination of intravitreal injection of Lucentis (ranibizumab) plus laser has just been proven to be a new and more effective treatment for diabetic macular edema. For the past 25 years, laser photocoagulation (aka laser treatment) has been the mainstay for this most common complication of diabetic retinopathy. The new treatment involves Lucentis, the anti-VEGF drug also used to treat … [Read more...]
Avastin Versus Lucentis; And the Winner Is…
April 2, 2010 By 1 Comment
Both Avastin and Lucentis are anti-VEGF treatments for wet macular degeneration. Both are manufactured by Genentech (Roche). A small study just (February 2010, Ophthalmology) published found no clinical difference between the two drugs, that is, one worked as well as the other. There has been quite a debate over the difference between the two drugs and their ability to treat wet macular … [Read more...]
Avastin and Lucentis: Neck and Neck
February 3, 2010 By 2 Comments
Both Avastin and Lucentis are anti-VEGF treatments for wet macular degeneration. Both are manufactured by Genentech (Roche). A small study just published found no clinical difference between the two drugs, that is, one worked as well as the other. There has been quite a debate over the difference between the two drugs and their ability to treat wet macular degeneration. There are … [Read more...]
Standard of Care vs. FDA Approved – How We Choose a Treatment
January 13, 2010 By 8 Comments
Avastin® is not FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved for treating wet macular degeneration, but it is the standard of care for treating the disease. The FDA has given approval for Avastin to be used to treat a variety of cancers, but nothing about eyes. What is Standard of Care? Standard of care is the treatment that another prudent healthcare professional, of similar backgrounds … [Read more...]
New Macular Degeneration Drug on the Horizon
December 23, 2009 By Leave a Comment
A company, Ophthotech, recently announced their drug is now funded to enter Phase II FDA trials for testing. Their new drug, E10030, is an aptamer (similar to an antibody) targeted against "Platelet Derived Growth Factor." The aptamer is designed to specifically bind to PDGF and prevent "plugging-in" to its receptor. The drug is novel for two reasons; 1) it is directed at a second protein … [Read more...]
“Cross My Heart, Hope to Die, Stick a Needle in My…”
December 18, 2009 By 21 Comments
I give intravitreal eye injections everyday! It is one of the most rewarding things I do! And they come back for more! My patients love it because anti-VEGF injections usually work really well, especially if the wet form of macular degeneration is caught early. Suspicion Confirmed When I examine a patient and suspect that a patient has wet macular degeneration, I'll usually confirm the … [Read more...]
