Lucentis to Treat Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) 3 Plus Disease
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2013-10-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a neovascular retinal disorder of premature born
children, characterized by the development of retinal neovascularisation, macular dragging
and eventually retinal detachment. ROP is a leading cause for childhood blindness, especially
in developing countries. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in
the development of the disease. Recently, the BEAT ROP study tested the efficacy of
intravitreal bevacizumab for stage 3 plus ROP in a prospective, controlled, randomized,
stratified, multicenter trial. Authors found that bevacizumab showed a significant benefit
for Zone I but not Zone II disease, with continuation of peripheral retinal vessel growths
after treatment. The authors also concluded that safety could not be assessed due to the
small sample size. Other authors raised concerns regarding the results of the BEAT ROP study
and the safety of bevacizumab.
The investigators suspected a better safety profile for ranibizumab to treat stage 3 plus
ROP. Here we present the outcome of 6 eyes with ROP stage 3 plus treated with a single
injection of ranibizumab.