VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 22, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QLT Inc. (Nasdaq:QLTI) (TSX:QLT) today announced final 24-month results from the Phase II RADICAL study (Reduced Fluence Visudyne Anti-VEGF-Dexamethasone In Combination for AMD Lesions) in patients with exudative (wet) age-related macular degeneration (“wet AMD”). The purpose of the study was to determine if Visudyne® combined with Lucentis® reduced retreatment rates compared with Lucentis monotherapy, while maintaining similar vision outcomes and an acceptable safety profile. Three Visudyne–Lucentis combination therapies were evaluated against Lucentis monotherapy. The results of the final 24-month analysis are consistent with the primary analysis results after 12 months of follow-up. The 24-month results showed that significantly fewer retreatment visits were required with combination therapies than with Lucentis monotherapy. Mean visual acuity (VA) change from baseline was not statistically different among the treatment groups, although the sample sizes were insufficient to draw definitive conclusions regarding visual acuity outcomes. Overall adverse event incidence was similar across treatment groups, with no unexpected safety findings.
