Treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration with Ranibizumab/LucentisTM

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered to play an essential role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration due to its vascular permeability-inducing and angiogenic properties. Ranibizumab, a small antibody fragment designed to competitively bind all VEGF isoforms, passes after intravitreal injection all retinal layers reaching the retinal pigment epithelium-choroid complex. Experimental animal models showed the drug to be safe and effective. Subsequently, Phase I/II clinical trials conducted in patients with neovascular AMD demonstrated a good safety profile, and a significant functional benefit. Ranibizumab therapy repeated every four weeks for the treatment of neovascular AMD is currently in Phase III clinical trials. Combination therapy trials aiming for improved treatment durability and effectiveness are currently ongoing as well as new treatment strategies using intermittent, optical coherence tomography (OCT) guided therapy. Anti-VEGF therapy using Ranibizumab is a promising new treatment option for neovascular AMD.