PrONTO Study Year 2: Evaluating a Variable-dosing Regimen with Intravitreal Lucentis (ranibizumab)
June 23, 2009
The second year results of the PrONTO study showed similar visual outcomes to those obtained in the phase III Lucentis® (ranibizumab) clinical studies.
In the PrONTO study, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients with neovascularization involving the central fovea and a central retinal thickness (CRT) of at least 300 µm were scheduled to receive 3 consecutive monthly injections of ranbizumab. During the first year of the study, patients received monthly injections of ranibizumab if certain criteria were met; during the second year, the retreatment criteria were amended to include an increase in amounts of fluid.
This study adds more to the growing body of information about the treatment of AMD. Since using specific criteria and OCT measurements for criteria for retreatment led to similar visual outcomes as monthly dosing, more retinal specialists may begin using the OCT-guided variable dosing regimen and only using injections as needed. Many specialists are already using this regimen. Patients may find this a double-edged sword– there may be fewer injections required to maintain vision but that they still require the same number of visits to closely monitor the status of the retina.
This isn’t the end of the questions however. Some patients don’t respond to ranibizumab-is there a different additional pathology at work in these patients? Would a combination of therapies better address the underlying issues? There will be much more discussion over the coming months and years about the treatment of AMD.
Read the abstract and full text version (login required) here in the July issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
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