Ranibuzumab helps diabetes-related eye problem

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Drug slows down blindness complication in people with diabetes, according to clinical trial.
Ranibuzumab slows down macular degeneration, a common eye condition, by blocking the formation of new blood vessels in the retina through the action of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF). Now researchers at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute reveal that it can help with macular edema too. This is the first stage of diabetic retinopathy, a common complication of diabetes which can lead to loss of vision.

Macular edema occurs when uncontrolled blood sugar damages tiny blood vessels in the eye, causing fluid to leak out onto the retina. This can trigger the action of VEGF. In the Johns Hopkins study, ten patients with diabetes and some vision loss had ranibuzumab injected into the eye at one, two, four and six months after the start of the study. The researchers then measured the thickness of the macula - the central part of the retina, which is needed for seeing fine detail. Within a week of treatment, several of the patients had reduction in the thickness of the macula and also showed improvements in their ability to read fine detail on an eye chart. This was just a small trial but offers new hope to those at risk of vision problems from diabetes.

Source
American Journal of Ophthalmology December 2006

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