Bevacizumab (Avastin) for the Treatment of Retinopathy of Prematurity

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disorder of the eye that threatens to impair vision in premature infants.¹ It is estimated that at least 50 percent of infants with a birth weight of <1,250 g develop ROP, with 10 percent progressing to Stage 3.² Treatment modalities for ROP have evolved over the past two decades. Historically, treatment for ROP has ranged from cryotherapy in the 1980s to laser photocoagulation in the 1990s. Recent advances have expanded the options available for the treatment of ROP to include antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) therapy currently under investigation.³ This column describes the mechanism of action and review of the angiogenesis inhibitor, bevacizumab (Avastin), as a potential option for the treatment of ROP.