Aug 1, 2008 5:45 pm US/Eastern
Study Looking At Treatment Of Macular Degeneration
When Hugh Spruill noticed a change in his vision that made the floor look wavy, he knew he needed to get his eyes checked.
"At first I noticed a sort of dip in the floor, almost like a dish," Spruill says.
His ophthalmologist told him he had AMD, age-related macular degeneration. A critical part of his retina, called the macula, was deteriorating.
"It's that provides the fine vision for driving, for reading, for most of the things that we do in our lives that requires resolution of fine detail," says researcher Dr. Daniel Martin.
There are two types of macular degeneration -- "wet" and "dry." "Wet" is considered to be advanced and more severe. There are currently two drugs on the market to treat it. One -- Lucentis -- was specifically designed for AMD. But while it was awaiting approval, doctors found an alternative, Avastin.
"Lucentis was derived from a monoclonal antibody against VEGF similar to Avastin," Martin explains. "Avastin was already FDA approved for treatment of colorectal cancer. And so ophthalmologists began using Avastin as a surrogate for Lucentis."
Both drugs are given as shots in the eye. The newer drug, Lucentis, is given every four weeks. The older drug, Avastin, may last longer than that.
"The question then was, what was the difference between the two," says Martin.
Made by the same company, the drugs are chemically similar, but not identical. Also, Lucentis costs about $2000 a shot and Avastin about $50.
To compare them head-to-head, the National Eye Institute and the National Institutes of Health are conducting a nationwide study.
"Those of us practicing, seeing patients day-to-day, we need this data," says Martin. "We need to understand the relative difference of Lucentis and Avastin, but we also need to understand, 'What patients do I need to treat every month and what patients can I safely give it just on an as needed basis and achieve the same excellent visual result?'"
No matter the study outcome, Spruill is grateful for the immediate improvement in his vision.
"It brought it almost back to normal," he says.
Macular Degeneration:
Clinical Trial InformationAmerican Macular Degeneration FoundationAmerican Optometric AssociationThe Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
National Eye InstitutePrevent Blindness AmericaLearn more about the drugs in the study: FDA Avastin Lucentis
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