Bevacizumab effective in severe ROP

Bevacizumab can produce remarkable results in infants with severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), according to a free paper presented at the All India Ophthalmological Society meeting held in Bangalore earlier this year.

Dr Alay S. Banker, a surgeon practising in Ahmedabad, India, presented results from 14 eyes of nine infants with severe ROP who received one injection of 0.75 mg of bevacizumab. The infants had a mean birth weight of 1133 g and a mean gestation period of 29.2 weeks; they were treated at a mean age of 2.3 months. Follow-up ranged from three to 12 months. Eight eyes had previously received laser treatment and six eyes received bevacizumab as a first-line treatment.

All eyes fully recovered, with rubeosis disappearing within two days of treatment, and no eyes requiring repeated treatments or experiencing complications.

Dr Banker therefore concluded that bevacizumab can produce remarkable results in infants with severe ROP. He also noted that the agent presents a good option for first-line treatment of ROP, particularly in India where laser or cryotherapy treatment is not widely available.