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August 28 2002
The European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicines has granted a marketing authorisation which extends Visudyne's indications for use to include treatment of occult ( in addition to classic) subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation (CNV) leakage in wet AMD.
"Occult" and "classic" are terms used to describe the different patterns of CNV leakage as seen on fluorescein angiography.
Classic CNV appears as a well-demarcated area of hyperfluorescence in the early- frames of the angiogram.
Occult CNV appears as a poorly demarcated area of hyperfluorescence in the late- frames of the angiogram.
15% of AMD patients suffer from the wet form and approximately two-thirds of these at diagnosis show occult or classic patterns of CNV leakage on fluorescein angiography. Visudyne therapy is a relatively painless two-step procedure. Following intravenous administration, Visudyne is activated by a non-thermal laser light (photodynamic therapy). Visudyne selectively targets abnormal blood vessels on the retina, thus resulting in a reduction in their growth, without affecting normal/healthy blood vessels. This in turn stops the leakage associated with AMD.
"The next step will be to secure reimbursement for occult AMD to ensure that no patients will be deprived from treatment for financial reasons."
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