This is an open-label dose escalating study (n=15) to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the addition of imatinib mesylate to the Lucentis treatment regime over a 6 month period in patients with newly diagnosed choroidal neovascularization:~5 patients will be treated with 4 weeks of imatinib mesylate 400mg per day (the lowest typical starting dose) to be started concurrently with ranibizumab (Lucentis) 0.5mg intravitreal injection. The patients would be injected at monthly intervals for the first 3 months followed by treatment on an as needed basis.~If imatinib mesylate is safely tolerated for the first 4 weeks, the following set of 5 patients will be treated with 6 weeks of imatinib mesylate 400mg per day to be started concurrently with Lucentis 0.5mg intravitreal injection. The patients would be injected at monthly intervals for the first 3 months followed by treatment on an as needed basis.~If imatinib mesylate is safely tolerated for the first 6 weeks, the following set of 5 patients will be treated with 8 weeks of imatinib mesylate 400mg per day to be started concurrently with Lucentis 0.5mg intravitreal injection. The patients would be injected at monthly intervals for the first 3 months followed by treatment on an as needed basis.
The purpose of study is to determine if Lucentis combined with imatinib mesylate will help treatment in patients with newly diagnosed choroidal neovascularization.