AMD trial claims advance

Co-developers Ciba Vision and QLT Phototherapeutics pharmaceutical products supplier, released new patient trial data this week of their joint project, Visudyne, which is claimed to treat severe 'wet' AMD cases. Visudyne is administered by a two-step procedure involving an intravenous injection and a laser on the affected area. Patients treated with the therapy were more likely to have stable vision (defined as a loss of less than three lines of vision on a standard chart) or improved vision compared to placebo-treated patients at 12-month follow-up. Vision was stable or improved in 61.4 per cent of patients treated with Visudyne therapy compared to 45.9 per cent with the placebo. When the broad range of patients were entered into the trials, those treated with Visudyne were 34 per cent more likely to retain their vision compared to the placebo group. Among the former group, 16 per cent experienced an improvement in vision compared to 7 per cent for the latter. The trial involved Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in the UK. Dr Jenny Arnold, consultant ophthalmologist at Aberdeen, said: 'This is an encouraging new breakthrough in the treatment of a very common cause of blindness. The treatment, unlike conventional thermal or 'hot' laser, limits retinal damage while closing the abnormal blood vessels.' Based on its results, both Ciba and QLT expect Visudyne will gain regulatory approval in Europe and North America later this year.