Roche/Genentech's Lucentis meets goals in diabetic macular edema patient study

Swiss drug major’s (ROG: VX) subsidiary Genentech revealed on Friday that one of two Phase III studies evaluating monthly Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) in patients with diabetic macular edema (DME), met its primary endpoint. DME is a serious complication of diabetes that affects up to 10 percent of people with the disease and can lead to blurred vision, severe vision loss and blindness.

The study, known as RISE, showed that a significantly higher percentage of patients receiving monthly Lucentis achieved an improvement in vision (BCVA) of at least 15 letters on the eye chart at 24 months, compared to those in a control group, who received a placebo (sham) injection. A preliminary analysis of the data did not reveal any unexpected safety signals and further analyses are ongoing. Topline results from the RISE study will be presented at the 34th Annual Macula Society Meeting, on March 10, 2011 in Boca Raton, Florida, USA.