Intravitreal Ranibizumab to Treat Macular Edema After Panretinal Photocoagulation (Phase II)

Levels of VEGF are elevated in eyes wth Diabetic Macular Edema and the expression of VEGF was found to be elevated temporarily following the photocoagulation of human Retinal Pigment Epithelial (RPE) cells. Ranibizumab (Lucentis TM, Genentech) is an anti-VEGF antibody shown to have properties to prevent macular edema. We hypothesize that VEGF inhibition can effectively treat PRP-induced macular edema, thereby minimizing post-PRP vision loss. Subjects who meet eligibility criteria will receive 0.5mg ranibizumab administered 7-14 days post-PRP. Additional intravitreal injections of 0.5 mg of ranibizumab at Day 30 and/or Day 60 may be also be administered. All subjects will be followed for 90 days for safety and efficacy assessments. There is no placebo or sham arm of this trial.