Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv für klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie
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Graefes Arch. Clin. Exp. Ophthalmol. · Jan 2008
Multicenter StudyTwelve-month safety of intravitreal injections of bevacizumab (Avastin): results of the Pan-American Collaborative Retina Study Group (PACORES).
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays an important role in many diseases of the posterior pole that are characterized by macular edema and/or intraocular neovascularization. Recently anti-VEGF agents such as ranibizumab and pegaptanib sodium have been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). However in most parts of the world, both pegaptanib sodium and ranibizumab are not readily available. Bevacizumab, a humanized recombinant monoclonal IgG antibody that binds and inhibits all VEGF isoforms, has been proposed as an alternative treatment option. ⋯ Despite the limited follow-up, repeated intravitreal injections of either 1.25 mg or 2.5 mg of bevacizumab appears to be safe and well tolerated during the 1st year.