Report rejects photodynamic therapy

17 Jun 2002

A report recommends that photodynamic therapy should not be used to treat a leading cause of blindness.

A UK charity is claiming that a report issued by the UK's National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) will "condemn thousands to blindness" over the next three years.

NICE recommends whether new medical therapies should be available on the UK's publicly-funded National Health Service. It has issued preliminary guidance recommending that photodynamic therapy (PDT) should not be used for routine treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

The report goes on to say that the treatment should only be used as part of an ongoing or new clinical study.

PDT treatment of AMD is however routinely available in most European countries and North America.

The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) said that the recommendation could mean that up to 20 000 people losing their sight over the next three to four years.

RNIB spokeman Steve Winyard said: "If these recommendations are confirmed, wealthy people in the UK with wet AMD will be able to buy their sight through private treatment, while those with lower incomes will go blind. This is wholly unacceptable."

NICE responded to the RNIB's concerns by pointing out that the report was only preliminary, and that its recommendations may change following consultation. Anne-Toni Rodgers, who is leading the NICE appraisal of PDT, said: "NICE has not made any recommendations on photodynamic therapy. We are weeks away from even receiving the appraisal committee's final thoughts. We have published in full the committee's initial evaluation so that people can send us their views."

The closing date for comments is 30 April and a draft of the final guidance will be issued after the appraisal committee meets on 8 May. To see the NICE report, click here.

Author
Michael Hatcher is technology editor of Opto & Laser Europe magazine.