Quick Updates from ARVO 2011
May 10, 2011
I have posted several items to my online Journal, based on what I learned was presented at ARVO 2011. Here are a few short briefs of what I’ve put online, along with the links to each posting:
Probably the biggest news from this year’s ARVO Meeting was the presentation of results of the one-year results of the CATT Study, along with its publication in the NEJM.
Previously, I summarized the results from the NEJM that showed equivalency of Avastin and Lucentis, but with the latter having a 40x larger price tag.
During the presentation at ARVO, the study co-authors presented on some of the preliminary safety data that they had collected, but not yet published. This was, perhaps, to refute the charges made by Genentech later in the week that a retrospective study that they had had conducted by a researcher from Johns Hopkins showed that Lucentis was apparently safer than Avastin (surprise!). In the data presented by Drs. Martin and McGovern, there were no major differences in safety. See my writeup:
CATT Update 15: Preliminary Two-Year Safety Data Presented at ARVO
Alimera presented on a subset of their FAME Study using Iluvien to treat DME. In this study, the subset data showed that 34% of patients treated with the low dosage of Iluvien that had had DME for three or more years before treatment, gained three lines of vision after therapy.
This subset of data will be provided to the FDA in response to the CRL letter issued by the FDA in December 2010, in response to the New Drug Application filed last summer.
See: Iluvien Update 2: New Safety and Efficacy Data Presented at ARVO
I have been closely following the exciting news about the Ellex 2RT laser treatment for stopping the progression of dry AMD. Based on the 12-month data presented at ARVO, it appears that we may have a non-invasive treatment that might be able to stop dry AMD in its tracks and prevent the progression into the vision-losing forms of this disease.
See: Ellex 2RT Updated Clinical Results: ARVO 2011
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