Avastin superior to PDT

Intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) performs better than verteporfin photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the management of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to a study published in the October issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

Ziad Bashshur and colleagues from the American University of Beirut Medical Center, Lebanon, conducted a study of patients with predominantly classic CNV who received either standard PDT or 25 mg of Avastin intravitreally. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness and greatest linear dimension of the CNV were compared at baseline and at three and six months.

Mean central retinal thickness was significantly better at three and six months in the Avastin group compared with the PDT group. At three months, mean BCVA and greatest linear dimension were also better in the patients receiving Avastin.

The researchers concluded that over a six-month period, Avastin performs better than PDT in controlling CNV in AMD. However, they also noted that additional randomized clinical trials are needed to determine whether these results will remain similar over longer follow-up periods.