Intravitreal pegaptanib as adjunctive treatment for stage 3+ ROP shown to be effective in a prospective, randomized, controlled multicenter clinical trial.

Purpose: Both intravitreal pegaptanib with laser therapy and intravitreal bevacizumab monotherapy have been found to be more efficacious than laser therapy alone in prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trials.

Results: The use of pegaptanib with laser therapy was efficacious in 91.2% compared with 69.0% in controls. The use of bevacizumab monotherapy was efficacious in 95.7% compared with 78.1% in controls.

Conclusions: The use of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy for retinopathy of prematurity has been shown to be efficacious, without toxicity reported to date; however, the best drug and dose which allows greatest efficacy with fewest recurrences and without toxicity must be determined.