Treatment of choroidal subretinal neovascularization with immune agents

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As our population gets older, age related macular degeneration (AMD) will reach epidemic proportions in the United States. Therapies to date have focused on the anti-angiogenic therapy with mixed results. Recent studies would suggest that the immune system plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of AMD. The composition of drusen, one of the earliest clinical findings in AMD, have been extensively investigated. Complement, lipids, and lipoproteins B and E are commonly found in ocular drusen as they are in atherosclerotic plaques. Hageman et al have proposed that drusen are the product of a localized inflammatory response which would occur after retinal pigment epithelium injury. Recent reports have supported further the notion of the immune system playing a role (but yet to be fully defined) in AMD. The age related eye disease study (AREDS) evaluated the risk factors for the incidence of advanced age related macular degeneration and found that using anti-inflammatory medication significantly reduced (Odds Ratio 0.22, C.I. 0.08-0.59) the risk of developing the geographic atrophy form of AMD. Experimental models and patient material have, to date, suggested a role for macrophages and complement. We hypothesize that the underlying mechanism that leads to choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is similar to those at play in atherosclerosis. If this is the case, then CNV treatment should be amenable to new immunomodulatory agents directed against specific parts of the immune system. After therapy with anti-angiogenic agents not leading to a persistent remission of choroidal neovascularization due to age related macular degeneration, participants will be treated with one of three immunomodulatory agents or will be observed in conjunction with their continued anti-angiogenic therapy. Thus the participant will continue with the anti-angiogenic therapy they are receiving after randomization. We hypothesize that this combination therapy will inhibit progression of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) associated with age related macular degeneration (AMD).This is an open-label, phase II, randomized, single center clinical trial of 20 study participants randomized to receive one of three immunomodulatory agents or will be observed in conjunction with their anti-angiogenic therapy. Patients are randomized to receive either rapamycin, daclizumab, remicade, or observation in conjunction with any anti-angiogenic therapy the treating physician deems necessary. Patients will be evaluated after 6 months of therapy. We have found that after 13 patients randomized we found that two of the three therapeutic agents used decreased anti-VEGF injections by half in the patients receiving these medications as compared to anti-VEGF therapy alone. These data will be presented at the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting. A second study will begin this coming fiscal year.