Recent Analyses Suggest That Treatment With Macugen(R) (pegaptanib sodium injection) May Provide Better Results for Patients Wit

Retrospective, subgroup analyses of the VISION study suggest that treatment of early disease with Macugen may further reduce the risk of vision loss associated with neovascular AMD compared to the overall VISION study population 


NEW YORK, Oct. 5  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Eyetech Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:EYET) and Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) announced today that exploratory analyses of the VISION (VEGF Inhibition Study in Ocular Neovascularization) study suggest that treatment with Macugen(R) (pegaptanib sodium injection) 0.3 mg may provide better results in patients with early stage neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD) compared to the overall VISION study population.  These findings were published in the October issue of Retina and will be presented at the American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting on October 18, 2005.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050407/EYETLOGO )

Early diagnosis of neovascular AMD is critical since the disease can rapidly lead to impaired visual function.  Neovascular AMD is the leading cause of severe vision loss among people aged > 60 years.  Many patients with neovascular AMD experience severe vision loss rapidly, with 1 in 10 people losing vision within 3 months and 1 in 3 people losing vision within 2 years.

The subgroup analyses suggest that for patients with early disease receiving Macugen 0.3 mg, responder rates (loss of