Data published by the University of Barcelona shows Ozurdex® (dexamethasone 0.7mg intravitreal implant) provides significant improvements in visual acuity, compared to baseline, in patients affected by diabetic macular oedema (DMO).
This was observed in patients that had not responded to two or more DMO treatments (refractory, n=40), as well as in those that had not previously received DMO therapy (treatment-naïve, n=36). (1)
In this real-life, single-centre study of 76 DMO patients, meaningful visual acuity improvements were observed at monthly visits over six months in both groups. Results showed that visual acuity was significantly better in treatment-naïve than in refractory patients. As treatment-naïve patients are more likely to have received Ozurdex® earlier in the course of their disease than refractory patients, this suggests that earlier treatment with Ozurdex® provides greater visual benefits. Two months following an Ozurdex® implant injection, treatment-naïve patients saw a +14 letter improvement from baseline, versus a +8 letter improvement in refractory patients. Also, the median time to re-treatment was longer in naïve patients at five months, compared to four months in the refractory group. (1)
Significant reductions in central macular thickness (CMT) and total macular volume (TMV) were also observed at each visit, with no significant differences between the two groups. (1)
Adverse events with Ozurdex® were manageable; less than 10% of total patients had a transient intraocular pressure (IOP) increase greater than 10mmHg and all IOP increases were controlled with topical treatment. (1)
References:
- Escobar-Barranco JJ et al. Dexamethasone Implants in Patients with Naïve or Refractory Diffuse Diabetic Macular Edema. Ophthalmologica 2015 [E-pub ahead of print].
