Can Lucentis Reverse Vision Loss in Diabetic Eye Disease?
BALTIMORE, December 2006 A small study using Lucentis (ranibizumab) as a diabetic retinopathy treatment has demonstrated significant vision improvement in people with early stages of the eye disease, which damages light-sensitive cells in the inner back of the eye (retina). In the study conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, all 10 people who received eye injections of Lucentis (Genentech, San Francisco) experienced vision improvement of at least two lines on a standard eye chart after several months of treatment. People with diabetes sometimes experience vision loss when uncontrolled blood sugar damages blood vessels in the area of the retina, leading to swelling and thickening of the macula where finely detailed focusing occurs (macular edema). “Within a week, several patients experienced dramatic reductions in the thickness of their maculas, and there were further improvements with each injection,” study investigator and ophthalmology professor Peter Campoch
