Anti-VEGF therapies for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration

Abstract

Evaluation of: Martin DF, Maguire MG, Fine SL et al. Ranibizumab and bevacizumab for treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration two-year results. Ophthalmology 119(7), 1388-1398 (2012). Age-related macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in European-derived populations. Recently, drugs have been developed that not only reduce the risk of vision loss, but can actually improve visual acuity. This article provides a summary of a recent comparative effectiveness trial evaluating two of these drugs. The study found that visual acuity outcomes were similar for the two drugs and that monthly dosing provided a slight advantage over as-needed treatment. The role of long-term differences in retinal thickening, geographic atrophy and potential differences in serious adverse events between the two drugs need further research.