title: Pegaptanib sodium for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: This article reviews pegaptanib sodium, a compound developed by Eyetech Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Pfizer Inc., for the treatment of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Traditional treatment approaches to neovascular AMD have included destructive therapies such as thermal laser photocoagulation and photodynamic therapy; the use of pegaptanib sodium heralds a new treatment approach that is a non-destructive therapy based on the inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor activity in the eye. This diminishes the neovascular drive in the pathologically hyperpermeable state of the diseased eye. Pegaptanib sodium is one of the first therapeutics belonging to the class of compounds known as aptamers. The chemistry, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and rationale for the clinical use of the drug are reviewed. The article highlights and summarises the results of the multi-centre, randomised, sham-controlled clinical trials with pegaptanib sodium to treat subfoveal choroidal neovascularisation in AMD. In addition, the safety profile is reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 900 NW 17th Street, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Moshfeghi
authors.forename: Carmen A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Puliafito
mesh_terms: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D015861:Retinal Neovascularization / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C495058:pegaptanib