Comparison of intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab treatment for retinopathy of prematurity

Abstract

Purpose:To compare the efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab and bevacizumab treatment for type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Methods: 36 eyes of 20 patients with type 1 ROP who received anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injections between August 2011 and February 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. Fifteen eyes of 8 patients received 0.25 mg ranibizumab (group 1), and 21 eyes of 12 patients received 0.625 mg be vacizumab (group 2). Eyes were examined by indirect ophthalmoscopy on the first day, third day, first week, and first month and as required after injections. Laser photocoagulation was performed in cases with progression of ROP. Results: The mean gestation time was 26.2 ± 2.7 weeks in group 1 patients and 27.1 ± 2.5 weeks in group 2 patients. No statistical difference in the time of gestation was observed between the two groups. The mean follow-up period was 20 ± 4.5 months. Laser photocoagulation was performed in 6 of 15 eyes from group 1 and 2 of 21 eyes from group 2. No eyes developed retinal detachment during the follow-up period. Conclusion: Ranibizumab and bevacizumab showed an efficacy in the treatment of type 1 ROP. The incidence of disease relapse was higher in eyes which received ranibizumab. Further randomized, controlled clinical trials are required to compare the efficacy of ranibizumab and bevacizumab. Keywords

Smouldering retinopathy of prematurity: a case treated by multiple antivascular endothelial growth factor therapy

“…Even though initial studies on anti-VEGF in ROP were with bevacizumab, later studies have compared it with ranibizumab. Both the drugs were found to be effective, but bevacizumab was shown to be associated with more systemic side effects while recurrence was noted to be more with ranibizumab in one study 7 8. This could be because of the shorter systemic half-life of ranibizumab (2 hours) when compared with bevacizumab (20 days) 7.…”

Terapia anti-angiogénica con ranibizumab en el tratamiento de retinopatía de la prematuridad

“…Arámbulo et al, sugieren que el bevacizumab escapa del vítreo a la circulación sistémica por su peso y composición molecular; mientras que el ranibizumab es una molécula más pequeña que tiene gran actividad, con tiempo de vida medio más corto en el vítreo comparado con el bevacizumab (16). Lo anterior implicaría una mejoría en la eficacia clínica con menores efectos adversos sistémicos, hallazgo comprobado por Erol et al, en su estudio del 2015 que incluyó 36 ojos de 20 pacientes, en el cual comparaba los efectos de ranibizumab y bevacizumab en ROP, encontrando que la incidencia de la resolución de la enfermedad fue mayor en el grupo de ranibizumab (17).…”

Antivascular endothelial growth factor in the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity

“…They noted that the incidence of disease relapse was higher in eyes that received ranibizumab, and subsequent laser treatment was performed in 6 of 15 eyes treated with IVR compared with 2 of 21 eyes that received IVB [13].…”