ABSTRACT
In 2000, the US Food and Drug Administration approved photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin for treatment of predominantly classic subfoveal choroidal neovascularization (CNV); 2 years later, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services agreed to cover PDT for occult and minimally classic CNV as well. A lack of definitive treatment options for a majority of patients with exudative Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) has led investigators to search for alternatives. Pharmacologic treatment, particularly with antiangiogenic agents, has dominated clinical research in the treatment of wet ARMD. Pegaptanib sodium is a pegylated aptamer, that is one to which a polyethylene glycol molecule has been added to increase the half-life of the drug and consequently lengthen the time between treatments. The pilot study that evaluated pegaptanib sodium in combination with verteporfin PDT raises the intriguing prospect that this agent, as well as others, may be more efficacious when given in concert with other therapeutic modalities.
