Conditions: Age-related Macular Degeneration
Keywords: Age-related macular degeneration Exudative age-related macular degeneration Wet macular degeneration Intravitreal injection Proton beam irradiation Lucentis Ranibizumab
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 6
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
Because a possible synergism of radiation and inhibitors of vascular endothelial growth factor has been shown in cancer patients and patients with wet macular degeneration, this pilot study is being conducted to determine whether treating wet macular degeneration with a combination of Lucentis and proton beam irradiation is safe. Lucentis is an inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor which was recently FDA approved for treatment of wet macular degeneration. It appears to be the most effective therapy thus far for wet macular degeneration among all drugs FDA approved for this condition. If no major safety issues are associated with this combination therapy, a larger study will be conducted to determine whether this combination therapy is more effective than Lucentis monotherapy.

Detailed description:
Five subjects diagnosed with wet macular degeneration will be treated with standard of care, i.e. intravitreal Lucentis injection monthly for the first four months and as needed thereafter. Within six weeks of the first Lucentis injection, the eye will also be treated with 24 Gy of proton beam divided into two fractions. Each subject will be followed for 2 yrs with monthly examination.

Arms:
arm 1: Intervention is 24Gy proton radiation in 2 fractions given within 6 weeks of first dose of intravitreal ranibizumab (0.5mg) drug combined with four monthly doses of intravitreal lucentis and monthly prn lucentis thereafter.

Interventions: intervention 1: Proton beam irradiation and ranibizumab
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: ranibizumab 0.5mg intravitreal monthly x 4, then prn combined with low dose proton beam irradiation 24Gy (2 fractions, 24 hours apart) during the first month of study.

Protocol document: