Visudyne fails occult AMD trial
This article was originally published in Pharmaceutical Approvals Monthly
Executive Summary
QLT/Novartis' photodynamic therapy Visudyne (verteporfin) fails to show a clinical benefit after two years in the firms' Phase III VIO (Visudyne in Occult) trial. VIO, part of a series of trials looking at the agent's use in predominantly occult choroidal neovascularization (CNV), was designed to assess whether Visudyne can reduce vision loss in wet age-related macular degeneration patients with subfoveal occult with no classic CNV. "Two earlier trials, VIP (Visudyne in Photodynamic Therapy) and VIM (Visudyne in Minimally Classic)," showed efficacy in this population, QLT said. Visudyne currently is indicated for predominantly classic AMD...