AlphaDetail AlphaPulse™: Anticipated Impact of CATT Trial in Wet AMD Treatment

SAN MATEO, Calif., May 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 28, 2011 the New England Journal of Medicine released highly anticipated one-year results of the ongoing "Comparisons of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials" (CATT).

AlphaDetail, Inc., a leader in global ophthalmology primary market research and influence network mapping, has conducted its latest AlphaPulse™ survey with 120 Ophthalmologists to gauge their reactions on the heels of this important news.

Amy Tsang, a Director at AlphaDetail, explained, "The use of Avastin vs. Lucentis in Wet AMD has been debated among eye care professionals for years, and many anticipated that these results could bring closure to the issue."

While results from the trial confirmed that Avastin is non-inferior to Lucentis on visual acuity efficacy measures, the results related to level of risk associated with serious adverse events are less definitive.

• 68% of surveyed Ophthalmologists are currently aware of the CATT trial results.
• Perceived Benefits of Avastin
  • Over three-quarters of Ophthalmologists agree that the results from the CATT trial provide evidence that Avastin's cost savings outweigh its potential risks in Wet AMD.
  • Avastin is currently the dominant anti-VEGF therapy used to treat Wet AMD in the United States and this dominance is expected to continue among newly diagnosed patients in the future.
  • Based on the CATT trial results, Ophthalmologists intend to switch10-15% of their Wet AMD patients currently on Lucentis to Avastin over the next 6 months.

• Perceived Benefits of Lucentis
  • Two-thirds of Ophthalmologists agree that Lucentis' superiority over Avastin in other efficacy-related attributes, such as lowering retinal thickness and decreasing retinal fluid, are important considerations when selecting the appropriate therapy for their patients.
  • Similarly, two-thirds of Ophthalmologists agree that data supporting equivalent long term efficacy between Lucentis and Avastin is still needed.
  • Finally, Ophthalmologists are divided on their level of concern about mortality rates and risk of hemorrhagic stroke with Avastin compared to Lucentis as shown in an analysis of 77,886 Wet AMD patients on Medicare.

To learn more about this study and to receive full results, please contact Amy Tsang at [email protected] or (650) 581-3127.

About AlphaDetail, Inc.:

At AlphaDetail, we have an unparalleled commitment to our clients. We are a full-service primary market research firm, with a particular emphasis in large and complex quantitative studies for the global healthcare community. AlphaDetail is built on one of the industry's strongest foundations that includes a large team of exceptional analytical specialists, the industry's leading technology platform and a flexible approach to research that helps us to answer our clients' most challenging questions.

SOURCE AlphaDetail, Inc.