· Patients enrolled to the clinical trial were given 1.0 mg of sham injection or risuteganib.

· It would not be a helpful treatment for all patients with dry macular degeneration.

Results from a Phase 2 clinical trial, which assessed the efficacies of Risuteganib in macular degeneration patients, has reportedly verified that the drug enhances visual acuity in patients suffering from dry age-related macular degeneration, an ailment more commonly known as dAMD.

Peter Kaiser, the Cole Eye Institute and other colleagues studied the safety and efficacy of a potential new therapy to treat a non-exudative AMD, dry AMD. Reports cite, patients having non-exudative dAMD, when given risuteganib treatment, saw a gain of 8 letter in terms of visual acuity.

According to reports, researchers conducted randomized, double-masked, prospective phase 2 clinical study that was placebo-controlled. A total of five patients were included from the seven sites in the United States. 45 patients were included in total from 7 sites for the clinical study.

The inclusion criteria had a best corrected visual acuity that was in between 20/40 and 20/200, medium dAMD, retinal pigment epithelial as well as a preserved foveal outer retina. Of the 45 patients selected, the mean age of enrolled patients was 76.2 years, with 75% of all patients being female. Also, the base of BCVA was 61 letters. The primitive final point for the group was reformed in BCVA in comparison to the sham group and secondary endpoints comprised of low light BCVA, microperimetry and colour vision.

When analysed, Researchers concluded that only 1 patient from sham group could reach primary endpoint of the trial. Also, patients who were given risuteganib met the most primary endpoint gain of 8 letter in visual acuity.

Peter Kaiser stated that patients included in the study had less vision due to some reasons and thus they would be the patients to whom risuteganib could be useful. Kaiser also stated that, this treatment might not work for all dAMD patients, it might only work for the people having problem with visual acuity.

Source Credit: https://speciality.medicaldialogues.in/risuteganib-improves-visual-acuity-in-age-related-macular-degeneration-finds-phase-2-clinical-trial/