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Retinal Disease: Much Progress, Some Pain

On many fronts, 2011 was an event-filled year for the retinal disease market, beginning with the publication of the CATT trial comparing off-label intravitreal Avastin versus Lucentis for the treatment of AMD, and ending with several important milestones for device manufacturers operating in this space. But while the retinal device field is making progress in many areas, companies continue to struggle to meet shifting FDA approval requirements.

The last quarter of 2011 witnessed a number of important milestones in the retina device field, including the first commercial implants of two novel products for late-stage retinal disease and failure to win Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a novel drug delivery implant. On the biopharma side, the end of 2011 was highlighted by the FDA approval of an important new treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

An event-filled year in the retina market began with the publication in April 2011 of one-year results from the landmark...

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