Ranibizumab reduces foveal thickness

Intraocular injections of ranibizumab significantly reduces foveal thickness and improves visual acuity (VA), thereby demonstrating that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is an important therapeutic target for diabetic macular oedema (DME), according to the results of a study published in the December 2006 issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

Quan Dong Nguyen, MD, and colleagues from the Wilmer Eye Institute, USA, enrolled 10 patients with chronic DME to receive intraocular injections of 0.5 mg of ranibizumab at baseline and at one, two, four and six months. The primary outcome was change in foveal thickness between baseline and seven months, while the secondary outcome measures were changes from baseline in VA and macular volume.

The mean baseline values were, 503 µm for foveal thickness, 9.22 mm³ for macular volume and 28.1 letters read on an Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) VA chart. At seven months follow-up, the mean foveal thicknoess was 257 µm, the macular volume was 7.47 mm³ and mean VA was 40.4 letters. Injections were well tolerated with no ocular or systemic adverse events reported.

The researchers believe that, as the injections reduced foveal thickness and improved VA in 10 patients with DME, VEGF is an important therapeutic target for DME. They suggest that a long-term trial is required to test whether the injections can provide long-term benefits to the patient.