Lucentis and Avastin - Response and Resistance

While many of those with wet macular degeneration benefit from intraocular injections of Lucentis and Avastin, there are others who do not respond at all and others who develop a resistance to these anti-VEGF medications after weeks, months or years of monthly eye injections.

Drug resistance is common not only in prescription drugs but over-the-counter drugs as well. When the body is repeatedly exposed to the same drug, the body can become desensitized to it and the medication can lose its effectiveness.

Anti-VEGF Therapy for AMD

Anti-VEGF drugs, like Lucentis and Avastin, are drugs that are given by injection into the eye to slow down or stop the development of wet macular degeneration. However, it is not a one time treatment. In fact the recommended frequency can be as often as once a month or every 28 days for years.

So it is not surprising that some patients will at some time no longer benefit from these regular eye injections because they have developed a resistance to the medication.

University of Iowa Study

A small study conducted at the University of Iowa for AMD patients who had previously been treated with Lucentis or Avastin found an encouraging treatment option.

“The challenge has been treating patients who are not very responsive to the first two drugs (Avastin and Lucentis). It was assumed that they would not respond to anything,” says Vinit Mahajan, assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Iowa. “We are among the first to show that this drug can be effective in patients that were resistant to the first two drugs.”

Find out more about the encouraging results from another anti-VEGF medication ....

Anti-VEGF Therapy Options for Lucentis/Avastin Resistance

Leslie Degner, RN, BSN

Better Health for Better Vision

www.WebRN-MacularDegeneration.com

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